The webinar on "Facilitation's Response to COVID-19 – Strengthening International and Inter-agency cooperation Amongst Facilitation Stakeholders" was conducted on 04 November 2020 in Russian language as a part of a webinar series to support States in addressing the COVID-19 crisis.
More than 50 experts from 11 ICAO EUR/NAT Member States participated, representing a diverse spectrum of EUR/NAT states including EU member States, e.g. Latvia and Lithuania, Balkan States , e.g. Serbia and other States in Eastern Europe and Central Asia – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Ukraine.
The webinar aimed at raising awareness of Member States and industry on the importance of international and inter-agency cooperation and coordination and the role of the National Air Transport Facilitation Committee in dealing with unforeseen and unprecedented crisis such as the one imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The topics highlighted during the webinar encompassed the ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) report and its Facilitation related recommendations, Facilitation related provisions of the Chicago convention and various SARPs of Annex 9.
Due emphasis was given to the diversity of Annex 9 and the significance of coordination and cooperation through the establishment of an National Air Transport Facilitation Committee (NATFC) and development of a National Air Transport Facilitation Programme (NATFP). The main principles of setting up the NATFC and the guidance on optimal composition were shared, as well as existing guidelines and templates developed by ICAO.
Moreover, public health related provisions of Annex 9 were reviewed in the context of their considerable relevance in the light of the COVID-19 crisis. Measures such as disinfection procedures of an aircraft aimed at reducing the risk of spread of communicable diseases, the use of the "Public Health Passenger Locator Form" to trace persons who may have been exposed to a communicable disease and other topics.
Participants received information regarding the newly developed ICAO FAL I-Pack, its objectives and the components.
The recording of the webinar will be made available on the ICAO official website.
