Twenty-two countries support ICAO Call to Action on priorities for global aviation

Twenty-Two countries support ICAO Call to Action on priorities for global aviation
Montréal and Marrakech, 14 April 2026 — Aviation systems worldwide are set for a major boost with 22 countries supporting a new Call to Action on ICAO’s Strategic Plan, which envisions safe, secure and sustainable air transport for all by 2050, with zero fatalities and net-zero carbon emissions.

As part of the opening proceedings of the ICAO Global Implementation Support Symposium (GISS 2026), the new Marrakech Call to Action was adopted today at a high-level Ministerial Round Table.

Among its main commitments, the Call to Action pledges countries to strengthen governance and institutional capacity, unlock aviation growth and development through adeqate funding and financing of aviation, empower the next generation of aviation professionals, and ensure collective implementation and accountability. The agreement also stresses the importance of strengthening international cooperation, ensuring that no country is left behind as the aviation sector evolves.

ICAO Council President Toshiyuki Onuma set the stage for this breakthrough in his opening remarks. “Let this Symposium be remembered as the first step in implementing ICAO’s 2026–2050 Strategic Plan,” declared President Onuma. “Delivering safe, secure, and sustainable air transport for all is our ambition, and our shared responsibility.”

In particular, the Marrakech Call to Action reaffirms the signatories’ support for ICAO’s No Country Left Behind strategic goal, which is central to ensuring the inclusivity progress under the Strategic Plan and consequently to the expansion of aviation’s contributions to the prosperity of nations and communities worldwide. In this regard, the Ministers highlighted the urgent need for innovative partnerships and creative financing models to bridge persistent gaps, especially in less-served regions. This will help drive ICAO’s capacity development and implementation support activities, especially those that target the most critical priorities for global air transport. 

The focus of the Symposium will now turn to the negotiation of bilateral agreements that support this goal, along with the exchange of related expertise through a series of high-level panels. As of today, 101 countries and a wide variety of intergovernmental and air transport-related organizations are attending the event, with proceedings closing on 16 April 2026.

Resources for Editors

The Marrakech Call to Action was supported by Angola, Azerbaijan, Cabo Verde, Canada, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Japan, Libya, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Singapore, South Sudan, Türkiye, and Yemen.

About ICAO
Leading international civil aviation as a crucial driver of social and economic development, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is accelerating progress towards zero fatalities and net-zero carbon emissions in air transport for everyone, everywhere, in line with its Long-Term Strategic Plan for 2050. ICAO works with its 193 Member States and all air transport stakeholders to develop standards and policies for international civil aviation, and undertakes planning and capacity building activities to support their implementation by Member States. 

Media Contact
William Raillant-Clark
ICAO Communications Officer 
media.relations [at] icao.int (media[dot]relations[at]icao[dot]int)