ICAO Secretary General advances regional safety, training goals through high-level engagements in Singapore

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Secretary General, Juan Carlos Salazar, has advanced key organizational priorities through a series of high-profile speaking engagements and bilateral meetings during a four-day mission to Singapore. The mission reinforced partnerships critical to achieving ICAO’s strategic goals and building training capacity to assure the sustainable growth of the region’s air connectivity.

Mr. Salazar delivered three major addresses that underscored ICAO's strategic messaging on safety, security and workforce development. He opened the Global Aviation and Maritime Symposium on 14 July, alongside International Maritime Organization Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez, addressing more than 500 delegates from over 80 countries on common challenges. On 15 July, Mr. Salazar delivered the keynote address at the 3rd APAC Summit for Aviation Safety, emphasizing ICAO's Global Aviation Safety Plan as the pathway to zero commercial aviation fatalities by 2030.  

The following day, the Secretary General officially opened the inaugural ICAO Asia Pacific Regional Aviation Training Symposium alongside Singapore Senior Minister of State Sun Xueling, highlighting regional training cooperation as essential to sustainable aviation development.

Secretary General Salazar's bilateral meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong was a particularly significant opportunity for enhancing cooperation to strengthen rules-based frameworks and ensuring a safe, connected, and sustainable global transport system, while advancing Singapore as both an aviation hub and key partner in advancing regional air navigation systems. The meeting was also attended by IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez.

Mr. Salazar conducted a bilateral meeting with the Acting Transport Minister of Singapore, Jeffrey Siow, to identify and discuss matters of mutual interest with Singapore's transport leadership. He also met with Mr. Han Kok Juan, Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

The Secretary General also held several bilateral meetings, including with Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, Sri Lanka's Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and H.E. Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Transport and Logistic Services.

The speaking engagements and bilateral meetings collectively reinforced ICAO's core advocacy messaging around regional partnership and capacity building.  

Throughout his activities, Mr. Salazar emphasized that achieving zero aviation fatalities requires collaborative stakeholder engagement, also highlighted workforce development as fundamental to sustainable aviation growth.

He positioned ICAO's strategic priorities for 2026-2050 within a framework of strengthened multilateral cooperation and regional capacity building.

Mr. Salazar was accompanied throughout his mission by the Director of the Air Navigation Bureau, Mrs. Michele Merkle, ICAO’s Regional Director for the Asia and Pacific (APAC) region, Mr. Tao Ma, and the Deputy Director of the Capacity Development and Implementation Bureau, Mr. Miguel Marin.