(The Council Chamber, Monday, 26 May 1997 at 1430 hours)

SUMMARY OF DECISIONS

Open Meeting

1.                         The Council noted the meeting schedule for the 151st Session presented in the President's memorandum AK/548 dated 24 March 1997. It was understood that the meeting of the SWG-DMP had been rescheduled from the morning of Friday, 2 May to the afternoon of Thursday, 29 May and that a meeting of the EWA Committee would be convened on the morning of Tuesday, 3 June. It was also understood that the meeting of the Council originally scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 11 June, in the morning, would be deferred to the afternoon of the next day, Thursday, 12 June.

2.                         The Council then accepted the schedule for consideration of items during the 151st Session as set out in the President's memorandum AK/559 dated 16 May 1997, subject to the deferral, to the second week, of consideration of the paper on the Programme options related to the 1999-2001 Programme Budget and their projected cost implications (C-WP/10626). It was understood that the reference made on page A-2 of the memorandum to the Draft progress report on implementation of Resolution A31-2 as a whole - Increasing the effectiveness of ICAO - was for information only and that no paper would be presented to the Council on that subject during its current Session.

President's report on activities during the recess (Subject No. 19.1)

3.                         The Council noted the information contained in the President's report (C-WP/10608) on developments which had taken place during the recess, as well as the updated information presented orally by the President of the Council relating to paragraph 7 on attendance at the Seventh Africa-Indian Ocean (AFI/7) Regional Air Navigation (RAN) Meeting and the Attachment. The following additional information regarding the recent mission by the President to Nigeria was likewise noted:

4.                         In elaborating on his participation in the Fourteenth Plenary Session (Extraordinary) of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) (cf. paragraph 35 of C-WP/10608), the President of the Council highlighted the discussions which had taken place concerning the relations between that Commission and ICAO, in particular, budgetary issues and the provision of services by AFCAC. The President indicated that he and the Secretary General would present a paper on that matter at a later date.

5.                         Drawing attention to the two ICAO news releases issued on the subject of AFI/7 (PIO 8/97 and 11/97), the President of the Council cited, as evidence of the importance of that meeting, its high level of participation. Reiterating a remark which he had made in the aftermath of the Limited Middle East Regional Air Navigation Meeting (LIM MID RAN) (Cairo, 7-17 January 1996), the President affirmed that in considering the Programme Budget for 1999-2001 and the budgetary appropriations for Air Navigation meetings, the Council and the Assembly should give special attention to making provision for facilitating the convening of such RAN meetings in the region. He asserted that RAN meetings held in the region were much more successful than those convened at Headquarters, citing, in this regard, the levels of participation and representation. The President noted, in this regard, the ease with which Delegates could contact their national administrations. He maintained that the overall atmosphere of RAN meetings convened in the region was conducive to both formal and informal discussions and thus helped ensure the success of such meetings.

6.                         The President expressed pleasure at the participation of the seven African Representatives in AFI/7, a meeting which he would characterize, not as one relating to air navigation but as one relating to safety. He indicated that the many formal and informal meetings in which he had taken part, including those with the Director General of the Agency for the Safety of Aerial Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA), with the President of the International Federation of Air Line Pilot Associations (IFALPA), with representatives of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and with a number of Delegations had imbued him with a feeling of confidence that the implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) would be more effective in future. The President affirmed that the presence of representatives of funding sources such as the African Development Bank (ADB) served to highlight the importance of safety and the role of civil aviation in the economic and social development of States.

7.                         The President wished to thank the Government of Nigeria for its generous hospitality, as well as for the excellent facilities and services provided for AFI/7 which, he asserted, had been instrumental in ensuring the successful outcome of the meeting.

8.                         The President then elaborated on the productive discussions which he and the African Representatives had had with the Vice-Chairman of the ruling Provisional Council of Nigeria. Referring to a private meeting which he had had with the latter, the President indicated that he had followed up on talks which he had had with the Head of State of Nigeria two years previously concerning participation in ICAO's Technical Co-operation Programme. He noted that Nigeria had thus far commissioned nineteen instrument landing systems (ILS) and a number of VHF omnidirectional radio range (VOR) systems. In noting that Nigeria was continuing with its plans for radar coverage of its airspace, the President underscored that an agreement had been reached with that State whereby ICAO would conduct a feasibility study of such coverage. He indicated that $225 000 would be transferred by Nigeria to the Organization to finance the study.

9.                         The President expressed the hope that, in light of recent developments in Africa, the forthcoming report regarding shortcomings and deficiencies in the air navigation field would demonstrate to the Council and to the Air Navigation Commission (ANC) that African States, acting in co-operation with ICAO, and co-operating amongst themselves and with other users, were moving towards a safer airspace over their continent.

10.                         In noting that the opening address made by the President of the ANC had been well-received, the President of the Council expressed appreciation for the latter's participation in AFI/7, as well as in various related formal and informal meetings.

Inclusion of an item in the Council's work programme for the 151st Session (Subject No. 13)

12.                         The Council considered this subject on the basis of a report (C-WP/10635) of the Joint Support Committee.

13.                         In response to points raised during the debate, the President of the Council affirmed that, on the basis of the recommendation of the DEN/ICE/4 Conference of 1982 (cf. paragraph 5), it was within the power of the Council to take action in this matter. He concurred that any established costs should be justified. The President further indicated that it was his understanding, from both the deliberations of the Joint Support Committee and the current discussion, that allocation of costs was done only for aeronautical use and not for non-aeronautical use. He then drew attention to paragraphs 6 and 15 of the paper, underscoring that the considerable augmentation in air traffic over the North Atlantic and the rapid expansion of extended range operations (ETOPS) had rendered the meteorological information provided by Greenland and Iceland increasingly important. The President emphasized that, whereas ETOPS aircraft had been virtually non-existent a decade earlier, they now accounted for over 40 per cent of the total traffic in the North Atlantic. He noted that ETOPS operations made more use of medium-level forecast charts, resulting in an increase in the aeronautical use of MET information.

14.                         In view of the clarifications provided by the President, the Council took the action recommended at paragraph 20 of C-WP/10635, as amended in light of the debate, and:

15.                         It was noted that, in early 1998, the Secretariat would provide the Joint Support Committee and the Council with a paper on the evolution of user charges which would, inter alia, offer a comparison between such charges and other charges levied in the region.

16.                         The Council then gave initial consideration to a report by the Joint Support Committee (C-WP/10636) on a proposal by Iceland to participate, together with the United States' Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in a research and evaluation programme on a Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) for the North Atlantic region.

17.                         Responding to comments made during the ensuing debate, the Secretary General affirmed that the Council, in considering the said proposal, was acting in accordance with Article XIV of the Icelandic Joint Financing Agreement.

19.                         To concern expressed over the perceived deterioration in the provision of health care services in the Montreal area, the Secretary General indicated that he would contact the competent federal and provincial authorities and emphasize the need for quick and direct access by Members of National Delegations and their families to the best available hospital care in emergencies. He would also contact ICAO's medical advisor.

20.                         As no request to have C-WP/10602 on the above subject tabled for discussion by the Council had been received by 23 May 1997 in response to his memorandum PRES AK/558 dated 16 May 1997, the President indicated that he considered that the Council had agreed to the action recommended by the Joint Support Committee in paragraph 6 of that paper.

Amendment to the list of international organizations that may be invited to attend suitable ICAO meetings (Subject No. 10)

21.                         At the suggestion of the President of the Council, it was agreed to amend the

above-mentioned list by deleting the reference made, under the heading "Specialized Agencies", to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and by adding, under the heading "Intergovernmental Organizations", reference to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Invitation to participate as observer in ICAO meeting (Subject No. 10)

22.                         The Council agreed to invite the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations (IFATCA) to participate in the Seventh TRAINAIR Co-ordination Conference and Training Seminar, to be convened in Cornwall, Ontario, from 7 to 11 July 1997.