Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu (second from right), President of the ICAO Council, during his scheduled meeting in Addis Ababa last week with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (second from left). The two leaders discussed ICAO’s assistance and capacity building for African States under its ‘No Country Left Behind’ initiative, as well as the critical role of a well-supported air transport sector in helping States to attain the UN Sustainable Development Goals under Agenda 2030.
MONTRÉAL, 4 FEBRUARY 2016 – ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon conducted a productive scheduled meeting last week while in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for two high-level African Union meetings.
Post COP/21, and in anticipation of an important year of progress on the environment expected through ICAO, President Aliu reiterated the UN aviation agency’s commitment to work with its Member States to reduce aviation CO2 emissions through the basket of measures agreed to at recent ICAO Assemblies.
He also underscored the need for targeted policies and actions by relevant government authorities to develop robust civil aviation systems, which he illustrated would facilitate States’ long-term prosperity and ultimate attainment of the UN’s Agenda 2030 and associated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Among other issues, the two leaders also recognized the excellent relationship between ICAO, sister UN Agencies and the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC). They also reviewed the assistance and capacity building ICAO is now seeking to realize, under its ‘No Country Left Behind’ initiative, to address aviation safety, security and skilled personnel challenges in Africa.
The UN Secretary General expressed his deep appreciation for the cooperation enjoyed with ICAO on recent geopolitical matters of shared concern. He further encouraged the aviation industry, through ICAO, to innovatively develop and employ emissions saving technologies wherever possible.
UNSG Ban was accompanied on the occasion by Mr. Atul Khare, Head of the UN Department of Field Support, and by Mr. Hervé Ladsous, Under Secretary General of UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. President Aliu was accompanied by ICAO’s Regional Directors for its Eastern/Southern African and Western/Central African Offices, Messrs. Barry Kashambo and Mam Sait Jallow, and by Ms. Iyabo Sosina, Secretary General of African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC).
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