Regional Office achievements
In 2021, all Regional Offices gave priority to supporting States in implementing ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several activities were carried out to assist States in implementing the recommendations of the Report of the Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) and to support the recovery of air transport, including information-sharing meetings for Directors General of Civil Aviation Authorities (DGCAs). At the Asia and Pacific (APAC) Regional Office, the APAC COVID-19 Contingency and Recovery Planning Group held a number of meetings to help States to record their progress in implementing CART recommendations through the ICAO COVID-19 Response and Recovery Implementation Centre (CRRIC). Similar crisis management activities were implemented in other Regional Offices.
In the APAC Region, the Contingency Coordination Team (CCT) coordinated regional and inter-regional contingency efforts in response to the disruptions in air navigation services in the Kabul Flight Information Region. The European and North Atlantic (EUR/NAT) Regional Office provided support to crisis management teams in responding to the airspace closures and other contingencies, and a review of the regional crisis management framework was initiated following EUR/NAT DGCA discussions. The North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACC) Regional Office also focused on activities to ensure timely contingency response. In the Middle East (MID) Region, steps were taken in coordination with States and other stakeholders to plan for air traffic flow management ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Regional Office also addressed urgent challenges facing supply chains, humanitarian flights and repatriation flights.
Regional Offices engaged in a number of joint initiatives to promote synergies between States, as requested by the ICAO Council.
The Eastern and South African (ESAF) and Western and Central African (WACAF) Regional Offices carried out joint efforts to promote and improve environmental protection in the Africa-Indian Ocean (AFI) Region. The two Regional Offices conducted virtual meetings, webinars and training sessions to support the implementation of State Action Plans, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), and Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for the CORSIA Programme (ACT-CORSIA). They also held a contest to mark the 10th anniversary of the ICAO State Action Plan Initiative, and continued to support activities under Phase II of the ICAO Capacity-building for CO2 Mitigation from International Aviation assistance project. The South American (SAM) Regional Office supported States in developing, updating and submitting their State Action Plans and in monitoring the implementation of CORSIA.
The ESAF, MID and WACAF Regional Offices cooperated with regional civil aviation organizations to maximize synergies for the provision of efficient and cost-effective assistance to States, including through the joint AFI-MID Air Transport Symposium. The SAM Regional Office also took steps to help States to enhance business intelligence in air transport and promote the institutional strengthening of Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs): in partnership with ICAO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) applied its Indicators on the Governance of Sector Regulators to 29 CAAs in the North American (NAM), Caribbean (CAR) and SAM regions. This study will support further initiatives to help States that wish to improve their governance with regard to independence, accountability and scope of action.
In line with the Regional Offices’ operational plans, a number of activities were carried out to support the implementation of the Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP), Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) and Global Aviation Security Plan (GASeP). In the area of safety, the SAM Regional Office focused on: implementation of the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP); accident investigation and prevention; aerodromes and ground aids; air navigation services; implementation of the SAM Safety Plan; ensuring the effectiveness of State safety plans; enhancing safety intelligence for decision-making; and the implementation of service development road maps, system-wide information management, airport collaborative decision-making and aeronautical telecommunication networks. In the area of security, outreach activities were held as part of the Year of Security Culture (YOSC).
At the EUR/NAT Regional Office, an ICAO Regional Security Culture Seminar (attended by approximately 200 participants) was held to support States in establishing a security culture at the national level. The SAM Regional Office focused on introducing a One-Stop Security process by increasing implementation of the Universal Security Audit Programme (USAP) and developed a cybersecurity strategy. The APAC Regional Office facilitated the delivery of 11 training activities at APAC aviation security training centres, including four of the newly developed Security Culture Workshops. At the NACC Regional Office, work focused on enhancing States’ capacities in security oversight through the NACC Systemic Assistance Plan, which aims at assisting States in mitigating Significant Security Concerns and supporting training provided by aviation security training centres. The WACAF Regional Office assisted States in implementing advance passenger information systems and passenger name records, and assisted two States in addressing significant security concerns through the African Aviation Security and Facilitation (AFI SECFAL) Plan and tailored assistance projects. The Regional Office also supported States in the deployment of facilitation and aviation security Implementation Packages (iPacks).
