Aviation Partnerships for Sustainable Development
United Nations Collaboration
In 2017, ICAO, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and the Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), the World Bank Group (WBG), and the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) jointly advocated aviation’s essential contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Known as the Aviation Partnerships for Sustainable Development (APSD), this joint effort is spearheaded by ICAO and aims at sensitizing high-level government officials and donors to the socio-economic benefits of aviation and the benefits of mobilizing resources for, and investing in, sustainable aviation.
The APSD organized a series of advocacy events including at the ECOSOC Partnership Forum, Policy Advisory Council (PAC), and the 2017 Spring meeting of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Transport (GPST) (New York, 5-6 April); the High-level Political Forum (New York, 17-19 July); and the Global Sustainable Aviation Summit (Geneva, 3-4 October). Through these events, ICAO, UN-OHRLLS, UN DESA, WBG and ATAG jointly succeeded in illustrating aviation’s pivotal role in achieving the SDGs and advocating the importance of sustainable aviation’s inclusion in national planning frameworks.
Industry High Level Group (ILHG) — Aviation Benefits Report 2017
In September 2017, the Industry High Level Group (IHLG), — ACI, CANSO, IATA, ICCAIA and ICAO — released the “Aviation Benefits Report.” The report is the result of a close collaboration across States and industry and provides a comprehensive view of the importance of aviation in supporting the global economy and generating social benefits through the prism of sustainable air transport solutions. The report also offers a comprehensive outline of how international aviation connectivity directly supports governments’ ongoing efforts to achieve 15 of the 17 SDGs. It serves as a tool for ICAO advocacy efforts to foster the engagement of high-level authorities, including those beyond the transport sector, towards the enhancement of air transport systems and the prioritization of the sector in the national and regional development framework.
Sustainable Mobility for All — Global Mobility Report 2017
Fifty leading organizations and agencies, representing UN agencies (including ICAO), the private sector, development banks, foundations, donors, inter-governmental organizations and international associations agreed to work together under one umbrella — the Sustainable Mobility for All (SuM4All) — with a commitment to support equitable, efficient, safe and green mobility. ICAO is a member of the SuM4All’s consortium as well as of its interim steering committee. The SuM4All has proven to be a convenient neutral platform where transport stakeholders can discuss cross-cutting issues, across all modes of transportation. In October, the SuM4All released its first joint output — the Global Mobility Report 2017 — reflecting ICAO’s contributions. The Report was featured in more than 40 prime outlets and reached more than three million people. The SuM4All includes four streams of work: universal access; efficiency; safety; and green mobility. ICAO is a member of each of the four streams.
