The election came September 24 during the opener of the ongoing Montreal gathering.
Cameroon is the chair of the Administrative Committee of the 38th general assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) currently holding in Montreal, Canada. The honour was served the country during the opening ceremony on Tuesday September 24 during which officials like the Mayor of Montreal, Prime Minister of Quebec and Canada’s Minister of Transport spoke of the importance of civil aviation to the development of global economy notably the transportation of persons and goods, trade, tourism and job creation.
The challenge of Pierre Tankam, Director General of Cameroon’s Civil Aviation Authority at the helm of the Administrative Committee, will be to draw up and propose to the general assembly, the budget of ICAO for the next three years as well as work on the contribution of member countries. France was elected to chair the Executive Committee and presidents of the rest of the three committees who are expected to draft a three-year (2014-2016) civil aviation development policy across the globe equally designated. Brazil is chairing the Economic Committee, Jamaica, the Legal Committee and Malaysia the Technical Committee.
Cameroon’s High Commissioner to Canada, Anu’a-Gheyle Salomon Azou-Mbi, is leading the Cameroonian delegation comprising officials of the Ministry of Transport, aeronautic authority and other stakeholders in the sector. Information from Montreal say some 2,050 delegates representing member States of ICAO and aeronautic industry are taking part in the assembly which focuses on air transport economics and navigation fields at the operational, management and policy levels.
Between Tuesday September 24 when deliberations began and October 4 when curtains are expected to drop, the world’s experts in civil aviation matters would put in place strategies for the management of the sector in the next three years. Civil aviation safety and security, the development of air transport, protection of the environment and of customers are expected to be addressed. Member States would certainly return armed with what it takes to nib terrorism threats through international air transport in the bud. The putting in place of biometric passports, already in circulation in Cameroon since August 23, 2013, would also be reiterated.
