Legal basis and recent practice
August 6th, 2016 -- Rule 5 of the Standing Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of ICAO stipulates that “non-Contracting States and international organizations duly invited by the Council, or by the Assembly itself, to attend a session of the Assembly may be represented by observers.” As for past practice, over 40 non-contracting states and international organizations have taken part in each of the recent ICAO Assemblies as observers.
Taiwan attended the 38th ICAO Assembly in 2013
In September 2013, the director general of Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) was invited for the first time by the president of the ICAO Council to attend the 38th ICAO Assembly as a guest under the name Chinese Taipei CAA. Taiwan’s participation was widely welcomed and deemed consistent with the ICAO’s goal of a seamless network for aviation safety.
The importance of the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR)
The Taipei FIR covers 180,000 square nautical miles and borders four other FIRs, i.e., Fukuoka, Manila, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. It is located off mainland China’s eastern seaboard and between Japan and the Philippines. In 2015, the Taipei FIR provided services to nearly 1.53 million controlled flights carrying 58 million travelers entering, leaving, or transiting through Taiwan.
Taiwan should continue to participate in the ICAO Assembly
According to the resolutions adopted by the 38th ICAO Assembly, important and closely related issues to be discussed at the 39th Assembly—including safety, navigation services, security, environmental protection, and economic matters—require close cooperation among countries. This further demonstrates the need for Taiwan to attend the Assembly on a regular basis, enabling it to keep up-to-date with important matters and assist the Assembly in ensuring the safe, secure, and sustainable development of international civil aviation.
Taiwan’s regular participation in the Assembly would further contribute to the ICAO goal of a seamless sky
Taiwan occupies a critical geographical location and handles large cargo and passenger volumes. Therefore, Taiwan’s participation in the ICAO Assembly would help realize the regional one sky concept, as well as the ICAO goal of a seamless sky.
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