International News

MONTREAL, Sept 29 (APP/Xinhua): The International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) called on the UN Security Council to promote greater
international awareness and implementation of ICAO’s new Global Aviation
Security Plan (GASeP).
“This pivotal document, which focuses extensively on the threat of
terrorism to civil aviation, has benefitted from extensive inputs on behalf of both governments and industry,” ICAO’s Secretary-General Liu Fang said.
“Its objectives align with those of UN Security Council Resolution 2309,and once finalized it will be the primary tool by which the aviation security community fulfills its diverse roles,” she said.
The ICAO is a UN specialized agency, established in 1944 to manage the
administration and governance of the Convention on International Civil
Aviation.
GASeP is seen as a natural outcome arising from the UN aviation agency’s global leadership role in air transport security coordination.
GASeP’s core objectives are to enhance risk awareness and response,
establish a better-defined security culture, refine related technologies while fostering innovations, and improve oversight and quality assurance while increasing cooperation among member states, global and local organizations.
It is currently expected to be approved by the ICAO Council at its next
session in November, and in the ensuing months a key priority will be to ramp up related global commitments and outreach.
Adding to her call for the UN Security Council’s support for the GASeP,
Liu highlighted that “obtaining financial support is another major area where UN entities can assist ICAO. To meet the security targets identified in the GASeP, and its associated regional roadmaps, capacity development and
technology assistance programs must expand significantly.”
“In addition to these developments, this year’s adoption of an Advance
Passenger Information (API) Standard, which becomes effective on Oct. 23,
2017, will now make it harder for foreign terrorist fighters to move between
states,” she said.