Strategic Objective B – Security – Traveller Identification Programme (TRIP)

The ICAO Traveller Identification Programme (TRIP) was endorsed by the 38th Session of the Assembly as a strategy for strengthening travel documents globally. ICAO TRIP emphasizes a holistic approach to identification management in order to maximize both security and facilitation aspects, and is expected to increase the capacity of States to uniquely identify individuals by providing authorities with effective identification tools and guidance.

Implementation of ICAO TRIP will entail development of a business plan with measurable outcomes, formulation of an e-Passport roadmap and enhancements to the ICAO Public Key Directory (PKD), a mechanism that enables secure verification of e-Passports by border control authorities. Implementation of the TRIP strategy will also involve the consolidation of assistance and vocational training activities for States.

ICAO continued to assist Member States on all matters related to Machine Readable Travel Documents (MRTDs), including capacity-building activities funded by donors. At the regional level, the Organization relied on seminars supported by host States to promote awareness of MRTDs, biometrics and security standards. One regional seminar was held in Sint Maarten, Dutch Antilles in July; another took place in Burkina Faso in November. Both events promoted best practices for managing secure passport issuance and border control systems while emphasizing the importance of issuing ICAO-compliant MRTDs and participating in the ICAO PKD. They underscored the importance of meeting the 24 November 2015 deadline for achieving compliance with ICAO Annex 9 – Facilitation provisions (Standard 3.10.1).

In addition to regional MRTD seminars, ICAO held its ninth MRTD Symposium and Exhibition in Montréal in October. The annual symposium focused on the benefits of implementing automated border controls using ICAO Standards and specifications and the advantage of utilizing effective border control inspection tools such as the ICAO PKD.

By year’s end, the PKD had grown to 39 participants, with the addition of Belgium, Ireland, the Republic of Moldova and Thailand. States are urged to join the PKD because of the importance of enhancing cross-border security and air transport facilitation. ICAO continued in 2013 to promote PKD membership through a series of workshops.