Source: ICAO
ICAO has taken a major step to improve its engagement and support for Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) with the appointment of a new Liaison Officer.
The new position responds to the Ministerial Port Moresby Declaration on Aviation Safety and Security of 2021, the Pacific Regional Aviation Strategy (2022 – 2032) adopted by countries at the UN agency’s 41st Assembly last October, and has been realized in collaboration with the Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO) and essential financial support from the government of Singapore.
“This new Liaison Officer post is being established in recognition of the distinct sustainable development and ICAO compliance challenges which many States in this region presently face,” emphasized ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar.
“Our goal in establishing it is to directly assist Pacific Island nations in discharging their obligations under the Chicago Convention, and to overcome their current limited resources, geographical remoteness and low connectivity, vulnerability to natural disasters and public health emergencies, and excessive dependence on voluntary international support.”
The new ICAO Pacific Liaison Officer reporting to the ICAO Asia Pacific (APAC) Office Regional Director, began assuming preliminary duties on 1 August, and is expected to report to the new office premises in Nadi, hosted by the Government of Fiji, later this year.
The Pacific Liaison Officer will serve as the key coordination point on civil aviation development matters among the PSIDS themselves, ICAO’s APAC Regional Office and Capacity Development and Implementation bureau, and applicable regional and international organizations, including PASO.