MONTRÉAL, 5 December 2014 – The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will be joined by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, and many other senior U.S. and international officials this coming Monday, 8 December, for a special ceremony in the Grand Ballroom of Chicago’s Hilton hotel commemorating the drafting and signing there of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) in 1944. Heads of many major international aviation organizations will also be on hand.
ICAO’s ceremonial proceedings on 8 December will revolve around an Extraordinary Session of the UN civil aviation organization’s permanent Council of 36 Member States, which will debate a Resolution on the contributions and relevance of the Chicago Convention to global peace and prosperity since its adoption 70 years ago.
In the afternoon of the same day, an international aviation law Symposium on the Convention’s past, present and future will be organized by DePaul University, while on the evening of 7 December the U.S. FAA will be welcoming the many high-level international guests to Chicago with a special reception. All of these events will be in addition to ICAO’s Montreal ceremonies on 5 December.
“The Chicago Convention is a uniquely successful example of how the nations of the world can cooperate to very positive ends,” highlighted ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu. “And we’re grateful to be able to recognize those benefits in the very room where this agreement was drafted in 1944. Through the foresight of its drafters, and the subsequent connectivity fostered for world citizens and businesses, the Chicago Convention has permitted the global air transport network to expand exponentially over the past seven decades, bringing increased peace and prosperity wherever aircraft can fly.”
“The role of ICAO and the many benefits delivered through the Chicago Convention are clear to me every time I travel by air,” said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. “Safe, reliable, rapid and sustainable transport is crucial for the global economy and an instrumental element in our work to build a better future for all.”
Background resources for editors:
ICAO 70TH Anniversary Website
Multimedia Gallery, History of International Civil Aviation
Contact: communications@icao.int
