ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar carried out meetings with senior representatives of the Province of Quebec on 2 February 2023, at the occasion of an official visit by the Organization to Québec City.
He held a series of meetings with the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, Mr. J. Michel Doyon; the Vice-President of the National Assembly of Quebec, Mr. Sylvain Lévesque, the Minister of International Relations and Francophonie (MRIF) of Quebec, Ms. Martine Biron (pictured); and the MRIF’s Deputy Minister and Chief of Protocol, Mr. Alain Sans Cartier and Mr. Dominic Marcotte, respectively.
The meetings provided the Secretary General with an opportunity to express ICAO’s gratitude to the Government of Quebec for its long-standing cooperation with the organization, notably through the entry into force of an enhanced agreement last year. Mr. Salazar also updated provincial stakeholders on the significant outcomes of the 41st Session of the ICAO Assembly in October 2022, and particularly the adoption of a long-term global aspirational goal for international aviation of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The Secretary General also highlighted the diplomatic community’s recognition of the Government of Quebec’s support and approach to safety throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which have been key to minimizing the risk.
During Mr. Salazar’s visit to the capital of the Province of Quebec, he was also formally recognised by the elected members of the National Assembly during the course of their regular business session and the ICAO flag was flown in honour of his presence.
Quebec’s role as a hub for aerospace innovation was also addressed during the Secretary General’s visit, with a round table taking place with both commercial and academic leaders. Discussions with Aéro Montréal, the Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec (CRIAQ), Mila – Institut québécois d'intelligence artificielle, and Université Laval revolved around the central role of innovation and artificial intelligence in realizing ICAO’s vision for the safe, secure, and sustainable development of global aviation, and the means by which cooperation could be deepened towards that goal.
A special session held by the Secretary General with students and researchers at Université Laval’s Laboratoire de Robotique focused on the importance ICAO places on including and supporting the next generation of aviation leaders and innovators, as highlighted by the ICAO Innovation Competition.
