CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION ICAO

ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization - ICAO) - was founded in 1944.

At the initiative of the United States in December 1944, a conference was convened in Chicago ( Chicago Conference), which was attended by 52 states, to discuss the problems of international civil aviation. It was agreed to create a new organization that will deal with air navigation issues that contribute to improving flight safety and regularity, as well as economic issues that should increase the efficiency and economy of air transport.

The Chicago conference ended with the signing of the Convention on International Civil Aviation - Chicago Convention, and was formally established by ICAO. The city of Montreal (Canada) was chosen as the location of the ICAO headquarters.

In May 1948, an agreement between the UN and ICAO came into force, in which ICAO was recognized as a specialized agency of the UN.

The USSR did not take part in the Chicago Conference, since it was attended by states with which the USSR was at war.

After the USSR joined ICAO on November 14, 1970, the Russian language was recognized as the official (fourth) language of this organization.

At a diplomatic conference in Montreal in September 1977, a protocol was adopted on an authentic four-language text of the Convention and its official text in Russian.

Thus, the official languages ​​of ICAO are:

1. Russian.

2. English.

3. French.

4. Spanish.

Arabic and Chinese are considered working languages ​​of ICAO. They are used to a limited extent in the work of the ICAO Council and its permanent bodies, in the sessions of the Assembly and major specialized conferences and meetings.

As of 1994, ICAO unites 183 states of the world.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF ICAO

The goals and objectives of ICAO are to develop the principles and methods of international air navigation and to promote the planning and development of international air transport in order to:

1. Ensuring the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world.

2. Encouraging the art of designing and operating aircraft.

3. Encouraging the development of airways, airports and air navigation facilities for international civil aviation.

4. Meeting the needs of the peoples of the world for safe, regular, efficient and economical air transport.

5. Prevention of economic losses caused by unreasonable competition.

6. Ensuring full respect for the rights of Contracting States and a fair opportunity for each Contracting State to use airlines engaged in international air services.

7. Exclusion of cases of discrimination in relations between the Contracting States.

8. Ensuring flight safety in international air navigation.

9. Promoting the development of international civil aeronautics in all its aspects.

MEMBERSHIP IN ICAO

Any UN member state that was a member of the Anti-Hitler coalition during World War II, and neutral countries become members of ICAO on the 30th day after joining the Chicago Convention.

States that participated during World War II on the side of Hitler's Germany may accede to the convention subject to the following conditions:

1. With the consent of the UN.

2. By special authorization of the ICAO Assembly, which requires a 4/5 vote to pass.

3. Unless objected by any State that was canceled or attacked during World War II by the forces of a State wishing to become a member of ICAO.

A State ceases to be a member of ICAO if it declares that it denounces the Chicago Convention. The denunciation shall become effective one year after the receipt of the notification by ICAO.

If a state is expelled from the UN, it automatically ceases to be a member of ICAO, unless the UN General Assembly in its decision directly states the expediency of maintaining the membership of this state in ICAO.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF ICAO

The supreme body of ICAO, in which all ICAO Member States can be represented on an equal footing, is Assembly of ICAO Member States. It convenes once every three years. If necessary, on the recommendation of the ICAO Council, or at the request of at least 1/5 of the members of the organization, extraordinary sessions of the ICAO Assembly may be convened.

The functions of the Assembly are to determine the direction of ICAO activities in the field of international air navigation and international air transport:

1. Elect the ICAO Council, consider reports, take appropriate action.

2. Determine the scale of contributions of ICAO member countries to the budget of the organization.

3. Approve the ICAO budget.

4. Consider and approve proposals to amend the Chicago Convention.

The contribution of ICAO Member States is calculated as follows:

Contribution 100% = K1 (75%) + K2 (25%),

where:

K1 = (National income of the state) / (National income of all ICAO countries),

K2 = (International air flight time of a State) / (International air flight time of all ICAO countries).

Min...Max contribution = 0.06%...25% of national income.

ICAO Council- the executive body of the organization, ensuring the continuity of the organization's activities in the intervals between sessions of the Assembly. Responsible to the supreme body of ICAO for its activities. Performs the functions:

1. Implementation of the decisions of the Assembly and presentation of a report on its work.

2. Election of the General Secretary and senior staff.

3. Management of the organization's money.

4. Approval of international standards and recommendations, their inclusion in the annexes to the Convention.

5. Registration of international aviation agreements.

6. Implementation of arbitration functions in the settlement of disputes between ICAO member states.

The Council operates seven permanent working bodies (see ICAO Structure Chart).

ICAO Secretariat - a permanent body of the Council, ensuring the work of the assemblies, the Council and other bodies, as well as the regional centers of the organization.

General Secretary - the chief executive officer of the organization. Appointed by the Council and heads it.

The Secretariat is in charge of collecting and summarizing information on the problems of international civil aviation, maintaining relations with ICAO member states. It performs these functions with the help of five specialized controls:

1. Air Navigation Authority - deals with flight safety issues, considers issues related to the development of recommendations and standards for companies.

2. Air Transport Authority - deals with issues of ensuring the efficiency of transportation on international airlines.

3. Legal management - deals with the development of standards and recommendations in the field of air law, consults on the legal interpretation and understanding of the main provisions of the Chicago Convention, prepares drafts of new decisions.

4. Office of Technical Assistance - develops proposals for the provision of financial and technical assistance, for the creation of air terminal complexes and equipping air routes in hard-to-reach terrain and ocean spaces.

5. Administrative management - Deals with issues of personnel, translations, execution and distribution of documents.

ICAO Regional Centers established in addition to the headquarters in Montreal for the operational work of ICAO:

1. European region - Paris.

2. Countries of North America and the Caribbean - Mexico City.

3. South American countries - Lima.

4. Pacific Ocean and Asia - Bangkok (Thailand).

5. Middle East and East Africa - Cairo (Egypt).

6. The rest of Africa is Dakkar.

ICAGUE CONVENTION

The Chicago Convention entered into force in April 1947, when 30 states out of 52 members of the Chicago Conference ratified this agreement and sent documents to the United States, where the ratified documents of all ICAO member countries are stored. The Chicago Convention includes:

1. Preamble. Introductory part of the agreement.

2. Part I "International navigation". The general principles for the application of the convention are outlined. Contains provisions governing air navigation in regular and non-scheduled air traffic, requirements for aircraft.

3. Part II "International Civil Aviation Organization"- Charter of ICAO.

4. Part III "International Air Transport". Questions of norms of the international air transportations are stated.

5. Conclusion. Contains a provision on the procedure for registration with ICAO, international agreements on air traffic and the procedure for their conclusion between states. Questions about the resolution of disputes arising between states, the procedure for adopting annexes to the Chicago Convention, making amendments and additions to it.

ICAO adopts a large number of legal acts that unify flight rules, requirements for aviation personnel, and aircraft airworthiness standards. These documents contain various rules and have corresponding names: "Standards", "Recommended Practice", "Procedures".

Standard- any requirement for physical characteristics, configuration, materiel, flight performance, personnel and procedures, the uniform application of which is recognized as necessary for the safety and regularity of international air traffic, and its observance is mandatory for all Member States of ICAO.

Recommended Practice - the same requirements as in the concept of "Standard", but their uniform application is recognized as desirable and which ICAO member states will strive to comply with.

Any provision that assumes the status of a Standard or Recommended Practice (Recommendation) after it has been approved by the ICAO Council. ICAO member states have the right not to accept this or that status, but at the same time they are obliged to notify the ICAO Council of this within a month.

The implementation of the Standards and Recommendations is laborious and costly. To simplify the solution of this problem, international Standards and Recommendations are drawn up in the form of Annexes to the Chicago Convention (annexes - from the English word Annex).

ANNEXES TO THE CHICAGO CONVENTION

There are currently 18 annexes to the Chicago Convention:

1. "Requirements for personnel of civil aviation when issuing certificates" . Qualification requirements are determined necessary to obtain certificates for aircraft crew members and ground personnel, and also establishes medical requirements for obtaining these certificates (ship commander - up to 60 years old, navigator - without restrictions).

2. "Rules of the Air" . defines general flight rules to ensure their safety, visual flight rules (VFR), instrument flight rules (IFR).

3. "Meteorological support of international air navigation". Defines the requirements for meteorological service for international air navigation and the bodies providing this service.

4. "Aeronautical charts" . Defines the requirements for aeronautical charts necessary for the performance of international aircraft flights.

5. "Units of measurement to be used in air and ground operations" . Defines the units used for aircraft two-way communication with the ground. This annex provides a table of units of measure (3 systems) used by ICAO.

6. "Operation of Aircraft" . The minimum requirements for the performance of flights in regular and non-scheduled international air traffic, as well as for the production of any general aviation flights (except for the performance of aviation special work), and the duties of the aircraft commander are determined.

- Part I "International Commercial Air Transport".

- Part II. "International General Aviation".

- Part III. "International Helicopter Flights".

7. "State and registration marks of aircraft" . The minimum requirements for marking to indicate the ownership and registration marks of aircraft, as well as the procedure for registration and issuance of certificates for aircraft are determined.

8. "Airworthiness of Aircraft" . Defines the minimum airworthiness level of aircraft required for recognition by ICAO member states of airworthiness certificates of other states whose aircraft operate over the territory of these states or over their territorial waters.

9. "Facilitation of formalities in international air transport" . Defines requirements in relation to the simplification of passport and visa and sanitary and quarantine control, customs formalities, formalities for the entry, exit and transit of passengers, as well as registration of the procedure for the arrival and departure of aircraft.

10. "Aviation Telecommunications" . Determines the requirements for landing and en-route radio navigation aids, and also considers communication systems and the procedure for using radio frequencies.

- Volume I "Means of communication":

a ) Part 1. "Equipment and Systems".

b ) Part 2. "Radio Frequency Allocation".

- Volume II. "Communication Procedures".

11. "Air Traffic Services" . Defines the general requirements for air traffic services, types of air traffic services, requirements for dispatching and flight-informative air traffic services, emergency notification, for dividing airspace into upper and lower airspace, the need for communications and channels, the amount of meteorological information, the procedure for designating air traffic traces, entry and exit routes (SID and STAR).

12. "Search and Rescue" . Establishes the principles for the creation and operation of the search and rescue services of a Contracting State, as well as the organization of interaction with similar services of neighboring states, the procedure and signals, paperwork, the rights and obligations of officials when conducting a search.

13. "Air Accident Investigation" . Establishes general principles for the investigation of aviation accidents, the responsibility and obligations of states in relation to the investigation and provision of information on aviation accidents, the composition of the commissions, their powers, the procedure for compiling reports on the investigation.

14. "Airfields". Contains Standards and Recommendations that define the requirements for the physical characteristics of aerodromes and the equipment that must be provided at aerodromes used for international air traffic.

15. "Aeronautical Information Services" . Defines the general requirements for aeronautical information, the forms of its presentation (such as AIP - AIP Airnoutical Information Publication, NOTAM and circulars) and the functions of the bodies providing it.

16. "Environmental Protection" :

- Volume I "Aviation Noise". General requirements are established for the maximum permissible level of aircraft noise when certifying aircraft for noise, conditions for issuing airworthiness certificates, and operational methods for reducing noise are outlined.

- Volume II. "Aircraft Engine Emissions". Standards and requirements are established on aviation fuel issues for certification of aircraft engines for CO emissions and other necessary technical conditions.

17. "Protection of International Civil Aviation against acts of unlawful intrusion" . Establishes Standards and Recommendations regarding administrative and organizational measures for the suppression of acts of illegal intrusion.

18. "Safe transport of dangerous goods by air" . The classification of dangerous goods is given. Restrictions on the transportation of dangerous goods by air, requirements for their packaging and labeling, and the obligations of the consignor and carrier are established.

AIR NAVIGATION SERVICES D OCUMENTS

In addition to the Annexes to the Chicago Convention, the ICAO Council adopts Procedures for Air Navigation Services (PANS - Procedures of Air Navigation Service - PANS). They contain a lot of material that has not received the status of a Standard or Recommendation, or procedures that are often subject to change. Therefore, the application to them of the procedure established for the adoption of Annexes is considered too difficult. These procedures, intended to be applied on a "worldwide" basis, are approved by the ICAO Council and circulated to ICAO Member States as Recommendations.

There are currently 4 PANS documents:

1. Doc. 4444. Rules of the Air and Air Traffic Services . The recommendations of this document supplement the requirements of Annexes 2 and 11. They establish the order of responsibility for air traffic services, the procedures applied by the control unit in the control area, on approach and in the aerodrome area, as well as procedures regarding the coordination of actions within air traffic services units. and between them.

2. Doc. 8168 "Aircraft operations" :

- Volume 1 "Rules of flight operations". Determines the procedures and landing approaches, the rules for setting altimeters, and other stages of flights.

- Volume 2 "Construction of schemes of visual flights, instrument flights". A detailed description of important areas and obstacle clearance requirements in aerodrome areas is given.

3. Doc. 8400 "ICAO abbreviations and codes" . The material in this document is intended for use in international aeronautical communications and aeronautical information documents.

4. Doc. 7030 "Additional Regional Rules" . The material in this document is intended to all air navigation regions. They are used in the preparation of instructions for the production of flights at airfields or on a particular route in a particular region. The document contains procedures to facilitate flights across the Atlantic, the Pacific Ocean and other regions of the globe.

The ICAO Council divided the entire territory of the globe into 9 air navigation regions:

1. Africa and Indian Ocean (AIF).

2. Southeast Asia (SEA).

3. European (EUR).

4. North Atlantic (NAT).

5. North American (NAM).

6. South African (SAM).

7. Caribbean Sea (CAR).

8. Near and Middle East (MID).

9. Pacific (PAC).

In many cases, PANS documents are more suitable and applicable than the Standards and Recommended Practices contained in the Annexes.

TECHNICAL MANUALS

ICAO Operational and Technical Manuals explain ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices, PANS documents and facilitate their practical application. They can be divided into several groups:

1. Collections of symbols:

- 8643 - aircraft types;

- 8545 - airlines;

- 7910 - locations.

2. Documents on types and means of service:

- 7101 - catalog of aeronautical charts;

- 7155 - meteorological tables for international air traffic

- 7383 - aeronautical information provided by ICAO Member States.

3. Aeronautical plans.

4. Guidelines for radiotelegraph communication.

For the planned equipment of the territory of the regions in terms of air navigation, the ICAO Recommendations are combined into Regional Air Navigation Plans:

1. AIF- Plan of Africa and the Indian Ocean.

2. EUM- Plan of the Euro-Mediterranean region.

3. MID / SEA- Plan of the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

4. NAM/NAT/PAC- Plan of North America, North Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.

5. CAR/SAM- Plan of the Caribbean and South America.

If Doc. 7030 Regional Supplementary Procedures (PANS) establishes additional procedures for all regions, the air navigation plans cover only one specific region.

A regional air navigation plan may provide for the provision of services beyond the established boundaries of a region if the facilities and services are necessary to meet the requirements of international air navigation within that region.

In addition to these ICAO documents, there are various manuals on various issues:

- Flight Accident Investigation Manual.

- Search and Rescue Guide.

- ICAO Standard Atmosphere Manual.

- Guidelines for meteorological services.

- Aeronautical Information Services Manuals.

- Aerodrome Manuals.

- Bird Control Guides.

- Fog dissipation guides.

- Guidelines for disabled aircraft.

- Aerodrome Marking Guidelines.

- Helicopter Flight Manuals.

- Guidelines for radio operators.

- Manuals for Localizers and Glideslope Radio Beacons Operators.

- Manuals for the operation of ships - oceanic stations.

- Guidelines for the calculation and construction of waiting areas and so on.

Once a month in English and once a quarter in Russian, ICAO publishes the "ICAO" magazine and twice a year, as an annex to it, a list is published, tables of current ICAO documents indicating the date and number of the last amendment.

The international organization ICAO operates under the auspices of the UN and is the coordinating body of global importance in the field of civil aviation (GA).

Mission and purpose of ICAO

According to the charter, the goal of ICAO is to ensure the safe and controlled development of civil aviation, to promote cooperation between countries on the organization of flights and passenger services. The key role of an international body is in the division of airspace into sections using navigation aids and the control of borders.

ICAO assigns special 4-letter codes to airports so that aircraft captains can clearly communicate information on navigation and meteorological conditions, draw up flight plans and charts.

What is ICAO doing?

The International Civil Aviation Organization is engaged in approving world standards and making recommendations in the field of aircraft design, regulates the work of pilots and crew, dispatchers and airport employees, monitors the implementation of safety regulations.

The organization creates common instrument flight rules, unifies aeronautical charts and aviation communications. ICAO also prioritizes caring for the environment and minimizing environmental damage due to air emissions and noise pollution.

The UN body seeks to improve the movement of travelers by standardizing procedures at customs, improving sanitary and migration control.

IC identification codesAO

Like IATA, the International Civil Aviation Organization has a classification code for air harbors and air carriers. The difference between the codes of both organizations is that the IATA code is based on the abbreviation of the name, while the ICAO code is based on the location. ICAO digital combinations are also needed in flight plans, in call signs for aircraft.

Charter and structure

The Charter of the organization adopted the edition of the Chicago Convention with amendments and provisions that supplement the document.

The International Civil Aviation Organization includes the Assembly, the Council and the Air Navigation Commission, as well as various committees and regional divisions in Paris, Bangkok, Mexico City and other cities.

The Assembly meets every three years or more often - on extraordinary occasions. The body is engaged in the election of the chairman and other senior officials, reviews the reports of the Council, draws up a budget and plans financial operations, checks the earmarked expenditure of funds and considers proposals for amendments to the charter.

The Council of the ICAO organization consists of 36 countries, which are elected by the Assembly. Council members draw up annual reports, execute the instructions of the Assembly and appoint an air transport committee, establish an air navigation commission and its head. The functions of the Council also include assigning salaries to the President, monitoring and informing the participating States about deviations from the plan of the Assembly.

The Air Navigation Commission considers proposals to amend the Annexes to the Chicago Convention, advises the Council on air navigation aspects.

Security

Illegal violation of the boundaries of air territories is a threat to the safety and stability of aviation, therefore, ICAO is developing plans to prevent terrorist attacks and ensure the safety of passengers and crew. She created a program of 7 courses in preparation for flight and survival in extreme situations. ICAO operates about 10 training centers that actively cooperate with developing countries on pilot training.

MembersICAO

Members of the specialized agency are 191 countries from the UN (except Dominica and Liechtenstein) and the Cook Archipelago.

Reference information

The headquarters is located in Montreal. ICAO mailing address: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), 999 Robert-Bourassa Boulevard, Montréal, Quebec H3C 5H7, Canada. The organization has 8 regional offices in different parts of the world.

INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION (ICAO)

Statutory provisions and organizational structure

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is one of the most representative intergovernmental organizations with the status of UN specialized agencies.

This organization was established by the Chicago Convention in 1944 and operates under the auspices of the United Nations. The headquarters is located in Montreal, Canada.

The activities of ICAO are based on the equality of nations in the activities of the air transport industry. More than 180 countries of the world are members of ICAO today.

One of the features of ICAO is that its statutory provisions are not formalized as a separate document, but are included in the text of the Chicago Convention of 1944 as an integral part of it.

The Charter of ICAO is considered to be the ninth edition of the International Convention on Civil Aviation (also called the Chicago Convention), which includes changes from 1948 to 2006. It also has the designation ICAO Doc 7300/9.

The Convention is complemented by 18 Annexes that establish international standards and recommended practices.

Consider the organizational structure of the representative bodies of ICAO in the diagram:

Rice. 3.1

ICAO Assembly

The Assembly of ICAO meets at least once every three years, and at the request of the Council or at the request of at least one-fifth of the total number of Contracting States, an emergency session of the Assembly may be held at any time.

Prior to the amendment made by the 8th Session of the Assembly on 14 June 1954, which entered into force on 12 December 1956, the Assembly met annually, and until the amendment by the 14th Session of the Assembly, made on 15 September 1962 and entered into force on 11 September 1975, for holding an emergency session of the Assembly was sufficient to request any ten Contracting States.

The rights and obligations of the Assembly include:

election at each session of the Assembly of its Chairman and other officers;

the election of the Contracting States Members of the Council;

consideration of reports of the Council and taking appropriate measures on them;

determination of the annual budget and financial activities of the Organization;

verification of expenditures and approval of the financial statements of the Organization;

consideration of proposals for changes to the provisions of the current Convention and amendments thereto.

ICAO Council

The ICAO Council consists of 36 Contracting States, elected by the Assembly every three years. The original text of the 1944 convention provided for a 21-member Council. Since then, the number of states has changed four times: at the 13th session of the Assembly (27 states), 17th (30), 21st (33) and 28th (36). The last change made at the 28th (Extraordinary) Session of the Assembly on 26 October 1990 came into effect on 28 November 2002.

Council responsibilities include:

drafting annual reports to the Assembly;

implementation of the instructions of the Assembly;

appointment of the Air Transport Committee, formed from among the members of the Council;

the establishment of the Air Navigation Commission and the appointment of its Chairman;

managing the finances of the Organization, including determining the salary of the President of the Council;

President of the ICAO Council

The President of the Council is elected by the Council itself for a term of three years with the possibility of re-election. The President of the Council does not have his own vote, it can be any of the Contracting States.

In the event that a member of the Council becomes President of the Council, then his place becomes vacant - then the Assembly, as soon as possible, this place is filled by another Contracting State.

The Council also elects one or more vice-presidents who retain the right to vote while serving as President of the Council.

The duties of the Council President include:

convening meetings of the Council, the Air Transport Committee and the Air Navigation Commission;

performance on behalf of the Council of the functions assigned to it by the Council.

Air Navigation Commission ICAO

The Air Navigation Commission is composed of 19 members appointed by the Council from among persons nominated by the Contracting States. In accordance with the original text of the 1944 convention, the Commission consisted of 12 people. Subsequently, this number changed twice: at the 18th session of the Assembly (15 people) and at the 27th (19). The last change, made at the 27th Session of the Assembly on October 6, 1989, came into effect on April 18, 2005.

The duties of the Air Navigation Commission include:

consideration of proposals for amendments to the Annexes to the Convention, recommending them to the Council for adoption;

establishment of technical sub-commissions;

advice to the Council regarding the communication to Contracting States of information for the development of air navigation.

Other organs

Air Transport Committee;

Legal Committee;

Air Navigation Support Committee;

Financial Committee;

Committee for the Control of Unlawful Interference with International Air Transport;

Personnel Committee.

Goals and objectives of ICAO

The goals and objectives of ICAO are to develop the principles and methods of international air navigation and to promote the planning and development of international air transport in order to:

1. Ensuring the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world.

2. Encouraging the art of designing and operating aircraft.

3. Encouraging the development of airways, airports and air navigation facilities for international civil aviation.

4. Meeting the needs of the peoples of the world for safe, regular, efficient and economical air transport.

5. Prevention of economic losses caused by unreasonable competition.

6. Ensuring full respect for the rights of Contracting States and a fair opportunity for each Contracting State to use airlines engaged in international air traffic.

7. Exclusions of cases of discrimination in relations between the Contracting States.

8. Ensuring flight safety in international air navigation.

9. Promoting the development of international civil aeronautics in all its aspects.

In addition, ICAO responds to requests from developing countries for assistance in improving air transport systems and training aviation personnel.

On December 7, 1944, a significant event took place in the American city of Chicago. During long and intense negotiations, representatives of fifty-two countries adopted the Convention on International Civil Aviation. It says that the development of strong international ties in civil aviation contributes to the future progressive development of friendly relations, the preservation of peace and tranquility between the peoples of different states. Peace on earth depends on how strong and stable these ties will be. It follows that the main priority of the members of this Organization should be the observance of the principles of aviation security and the rules on the basis of which civil aircraft are operated.

The importance of this Organization is beyond doubt. But what does the general public know about it? As a rule, not so much. In the article we will talk in more detail about what the ICAO international civil aviation organization is, what is the history of its creation, the list of participants and the principles of operation.

What is ICAO?

Consider the abbreviation - ICAO. It is formed from the English version of ICAO, which stands for International Civil Aviation Organization, and is translated into Russian as "civil aviation". At the moment, it is one of the largest UN agencies, which is responsible for creating a global regulatory framework for ensuring the safety of international civil aviation.

The headquarters of ICAO is located in Montreal, Canada. See the map below for its exact location.

Are the following: English, Russian, French, Arabic, Spanish and Chinese. Note that it is the representative of China who currently holds the post of Secretary General of ICAO.

History of creation

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) was created after the adoption of the Civil Aviation Convention. Since the meeting of representatives of future states was held in Chicago, its second (and perhaps more famous) name is the Chicago Convention. Date - December 7, 1944. The status of a specialized agency of ICAO received in 1947 and up to the present time retains a certain freedom in terms of management and methods for carrying out basic tasks.

The main impetus for the development of aviation and subsequently the creation of an organization that controls its civilian industry was the Second World War. In the period from 1939 to 1945, there was a particularly active development of transport routes, since it was necessary to meet the needs of the army and the people. At the same time, militaristic tasks came to the fore, which hindered the development of peaceful relations on earth.

The United States was the first to propose the creation of an effective model for the development of civil aviation. After preliminary negotiations with allied states, it was decided to organize a convocation of representatives of 52 states to adopt a single convention on international civil aviation. The meeting took place on December 7, 1944 in Chicago. For five weeks, the delegates discussed many issues, a lot of work was done, the result of which was the Convention. By the general agreement of the delegates, it entered into force only in April 1947, when it was ratified by the 26th ICAO member state.

Members of the Organization

The membership of ICAO includes 191 states, among which the Russian Federation is listed as the successor of the USSR, which joined ICAO in 1977. This includes almost all UN members: 190 countries (with the exception of Dominica and Liechtenstein), as well as the Cook Islands.

In addition to direct participants, there are special industry groups whose goal is to create the global regulatory framework necessary for the effective operation of international civil aviation. It is important to note that there is a separate body, the Council, to reach consensus on the provision of International Standards and Recommended Practices. He is also engaged in the design of adopted standards in the form of Annexes to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. (We'll talk more about the other functions of the Council a little later).

ICAO Charter

The Convention on International Civil Aviation contains 96 articles and includes all changes made during the period from 1948 to 2006. It establishes the duties and privileges of ICAO members, indicates the sovereignty of the states of their own air territory. It is emphasized that all international flights must be coordinated with the state over whose territory they will be carried out. The last article defines the basic concepts used in civil aviation. For example, "International airspace" is defined as the space above the open sea and other territories with a special regime (Antarctica, international straits and channels, archipelagic waters). All terms can be found independently on the official ICAO website. They are described in an accessible language, so they will be understandable even to those who are completely unfamiliar with aviation terminology.

In addition, there are 19 Annexes to the Convention that establish the International Standards and Recommended Practices mentioned above.

Goals and objectives of ICAO

Article 44 of the Chicago Convention states that the main goals and objectives of the Organization come from its desire to promote the development of international cooperation through the strengthening of air traffic between member states. This is in the following areas of its activity:

• Ensuring aviation safety and security of international air navigation.
• Encouraging and developing better ways to operate aircraft.
• Satisfying the society's need for regular, safe and economical air travel.
• Promoting the overall development of international civil aviation in all areas.

All identified goals and objectives are concisely presented in the strategic action plan of the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO:

• Improving the efficiency of aviation.
• Flight safety and aviation security in general.
• Minimization of the harmful impact of civil aviation on nature.
• Continuity of aviation development.
• Strengthening the norms of legal regulation of ICAO activities.

ICAO institutional bodies (structure)

In accordance with the Chicago Convention, the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO has a clear structure. Article 43 states that it consists of an Assembly, a Council and other organs necessary for its activities.

Assembly

The Assembly consists of 191 states that are members of ICAO. a body that meets at least once every three years at the request of the Council. During the discussion of a particular issue, each member has the right to one vote. Direct decisions are made on the basis of a majority vote.

At the sessions of the Assembly, the current activities of the Organization are considered, the annual budget is adopted, and the general guidelines for a certain period are formed.

The Council includes 36 states, which are elected once within three years. The following requirements serve as the determining selection criteria:

• The state should play an important role (ideally, a leading one) in the field of aviation and air transportation;
• The state should contribute to the development of international aviation to a large extent and participate in the maintenance of air transport.
• The State must ensure that all geographic regions of the world are represented on the Council.

The main purpose of the Council is for it to adopt International Standards and Recommended Practices. A standard is a specific technical requirement, the fulfillment of which is necessary in order to ensure the safety and regularity of international civil traffic. A recommended practice is also a technical requirement, but unlike a standard, its implementation is not mandatory. Both standards and practices are contained in the Annexes to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

The Council is headed by a President elected by the Council for three years. His duties include convening meetings of the Council and performing the functions that the Council entrusts to him during these meetings.

Air Navigation Commission

The Air Navigation Commission consists of 19 members who are independent experts appointed by the Council to review and make necessary amendments to the Annexes.

Secretariat

The Secretariat helps ICAO organize the work. A particularly important role is assigned to the Air Transport Committee, the Joint Support Committee for Air Navigation Services and the Technical Cooperation Committee.

Regional bodies

ICAO also includes seven Regional Committees that are approved by Member States and are admitted to the implementation of ICAO International Standards and Recommended Practices:

• Asia Pacific Branch (Bangkok).
• East and South Africa Committee (Nairobi).
• European and North Atlantic Committee (Paris).
• Middle East Office (Cairo).
• North American, Central American and Caribbean Committee (Mexico).
• South American Committee (Lima).
• Committee for West and Central Africa (Dakar).

ICAO codes

A specially designed system of codes is used to designate each international airport and airline. For consist of four letters, for airlines - from three. So, for example, for Sheremetyevo airport the ICAO code is UUEE, for Aeroflot airline it is AFL. The latter has a telephone call sign for aircraft making international flights - AEROFLOT. On the official website, you can independently familiarize yourself with other equally interesting codes and find out their decoding.

ICAO, organized in the first years after the end of the Second World War, still does not lose its important status in the system of modern international organizations. Its activities are aimed at developing and strengthening existing interethnic ties, and maintaining peace and order on earth. All this is fundamentally important today, when the health and lives of millions of people are in constant danger.