Minister Marin to attend ICAO meeting in Montreal

Ministry of Transport and Communications
Publication date 23.9.2019 12.51
Press release

Minister of Transport and Communications Sanna Marin will attend the General Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, in Montreal, Canada, on 24-25 September 2019.

The main themes of Minister Marin's address are climate issues in air transport, new airspace users and cyber security.

At the previous ICAO General Assembly, it was decided that a scheme with an obligation to compensate for the increase in carbon dioxide emissions from international aviation, Corsia, be introduced. Finland considers it important that Corsia's compensation obligations begin at the planned date in 2021. Finland, in line with the European guidelines, is in favour of ICAO adopting long-term emission reduction targets for international aviation as soon as possible.

On behalf of the EU, the European Civil Aviation Conference, Eurocontrol and New Zealand, Finland will present at the meeting a working paper on new airspace users.  New airspace users refer to unmanned aviation and new types of aircraft. There are no common rules on these matters yet.

While preparing the working paper, Finland considered it important to take into account not only safety and security aspects but also the growth potential offered by unmanned aviation and the fact that regulation should also enable the development and introduction of new products.

Digitalisation will increase aviation capacity and help optimise airspace. It will increase aviation safety and security, but there will also be new kinds of risks involved. Global cooperation and uniform practices are needed to counter cyber security risks, Marin says.

Minister Marin will meet the Spanish Minister of Infrastructure and Transport José Luis Ábalos Meco, Canadian Deputy Minister of Transport Michael Keenan, ICAO Secretary General Fang Liu and ICAO Council President Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu.

Background

The General Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, that operates under the UN, will be held in Montreal from 24 September to 4 October 2019. The General Assembly is the highest decision-making body of ICAO and convenes once every three years. The meeting will discuss topical themes in the aviation sector, such as environmental issues, airspace management, unmanned aircraft and aviation safety and security.

Minister of Transport and Communications Sanna Marin will chair the Finnish delegation on 24 and 25 September 2019. From 26 September to 4 October 2019, the delegation will be led by Mikael Nyberg, High Representative for Transport and Communications Policy from the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Inquiries

Pirita Ruokonen, Special Adviser to the Minister, tel. +358 50 911 3099