The Republic of Korea Host Its 4th ICAO DGCA* in 21 years
Conference on International Air Transport Cooperation Held Together With the DGCA
* International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Conference of Directors General of Civil Aviation Asia and Pacific Region (DGCA)
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT, Minister Won Hee-ryong) has announced that it will jointly hold the 57th Conference of Directors General of Civil Aviation, Asia and Pacific Regions with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at Paradise City Resort Incheon for five days from July 4 (Monday) to 8 (Friday), 2022.
* ICAO, composed of 193 member countries, is a specialized agency of the United Nations. The organization was established in 1947 to oversee international cooperation on regulations, standards, and procedures governing international civil aviation for its peaceful and safe development.
The conference, held every year, is the highest consultative body in the APAC region which explores regional cooperative measures and discusses regional aviation policies regarding safety, air navigation, air transport, security, and the environment with the representatives of international organizations and the director generals of civil aviation authorities of 41 countries in the APAC region (including Hong Kong and Macao). The last time Korea hosted the conference was 21 years ago, in 2001.
* The First Conference of Directors General of Civil Aviation, Asia and Pacific Regions was held in Manila, The Philippines in 1960. Korea was designated as the host country of the 57th conference at the 55th conference (held in Fiji, Oct 2018). (Korea hosted the conference three times in 1968, 1980, and 2001.)
This year’s conference is all the more meaningful as it will be held under the theme of “Strengthening regional cooperation for the restoration of air network with No Country Left Behind” in person for the first time after the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a venue to discuss various agendas.
* The conference was canceled for the past two years as Bangladesh (2020 host country) and Maldives (2021 host country) requested that the conference be postponed.
Attendees will include the director generals of civil aviation authorities of the APAC region, ICAO’s key decision-makers, including Council President Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano, Secretary General Mr. Juan Carlos Salazar, and Director of the Air Navigation Bureau Mr. Stephen P. Creamer, as well as high-level representatives of international organizations, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Airports Council International (ACI).
Mr. Yong-seog Kim, head of the Office of Civil Aviation of MOLIT, will assume the role of chairperson at the conference for the first time in Korea.
Chairperson of the conference starts the Agenda Items - safety, air navigation, security, and transport, and presides over meetings about the cooperation of the international community for aviation recovery. In addition, the chairperson coordinates discussions between the member states and international organizations on establishing aviation policies in the APAC region.
Korea, an ICAO Council member, has been making significant contributions to the ICAO’s works in improving global aviation safety, which enabled it to undertake the role of chairperson at the conference of the highest consultative body of the APAC region.
After the opening ceremony, ICAO will host a high-level panel discussion with the members of the aviation industry to introduce the industry’s role and effort in overcoming the pandemic and exchange opinions with the director generals on ways to strengthen public-private partnerships.
The Korean delegation, consisting of the members of the government, industry, and academia, will share its achievements in the key areas, including safety, air navigation, and security, and introduce Korea's efforts and policies to restore the aviation industry. It will also join in the efforts to include policy proposals and best practices of other member states and international organizations in the policy implementation tasks of the APAC region.
The Minister of MOLIT, Mr. Won Hee-ryong said “I wish that the conference will be a turning point for the aviation industry to leap forward, serving as a venue for the participants to discuss various aviation recovery policies based on ICAO’s No Country Left Behind initiative” in his opening remarks.
He also signed a Letter of Intent regarding Korea's participation in the ICAO Digital Transformation Fund with ICAO during the opening ceremony, expressing his will to actively participate in the Digital Transformation Initiative of ICAO, as the organization endeavors to support the member states more efficiently by utilizing ICT technologies despite the pandemic.
* Digital Transformation Initiative is a project of ICAO to transform its more traditional, paper-based system into a cloud-based digital system.
In addition, the Conference on International Air Transport Cooperation 2022 (CIAT 2022) will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Incheon for two days from July 5 (Tuesday) to 6 (Wednesday), 2022 under the topic of “Leap Forward to Better Skies.”
* Conference on International Air Transport Cooperation 2022
CIAT 2022, which marks its seventh anniversary this year since its creation in 2004, is one of the most notable international air transport events hosted by Korea.
Every three years, the conference invites high-level officials of the ICAO member states to take stock of the future outlook of international air transport and propose measures that need to be taken by international organizations, governments, airlines, and civil aviation authorities.
In particular, Ambassador Hyoeun Jenny Kim, Ambassador for Climate Change (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), will moderate the newly-created ESG session in which airlines, energy businesses, and airport corporations will give presentations about ESG management, net zero strategies, and climate change response. Discussions at the session will introduce Korea’s decarbonization effort which is in line with ICAO’s Long Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG).
The participants of CIAT 2022 will include Mr. Hadi Abubakar Sirika, Federal Minister of Aviation of Nigeria, Mr. Deodat Indar, Minister of Public Works of Guyana, Director Generals of Civil Aviation Authorities, including Ghana and Chad, ICAO Council State Representatives, including UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, presidents of airport corporations, presidents of aviation universities, and CEOs of airlines.
The members of governments, industry, and academia will gather together to discuss air transport, safety & security, UAM, and the environment under the subtopics of Aviation Recovery & Restoration, Policies for Responding to New Normal & New Tech, Decarbonization & Sustainable Aviation Environment, and Current Issues in Aviation Practice.
MOLIT expects that these conferences will contribute to Korea’s reelection to the ICAO Council by promoting Korea’s leading role in the international aviation policy development and aviation industry's paradigm shift.
It also anticipates that these conferences are likely to have a positive effect on Korea’s bid to secure an eighth consecutive term at the ICAO Council under Part III during the 41st session of the Assembly (September 27 – October 7, 2022, Montreal) as well as its future endeavors to move up to a higher category at the Council as the events will be an opportunity for Korea to promote its advanced aviation capabilities and expand its networks.
Please refer to the attached PDF.