Request for extension of Convention on International Civil Aviation Protocols to Jersey

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A decision made on 15 February 2022

Decision Reference: MD-ER-2022-72

Public

Subject: Request for extension of Convention on International Civil Aviation Protocols to Jersey

Report Title: Request for extension of Convention on International Civil Aviation Protocols to Jersey

Public

Decision(s): The Minister approved the request for the extension of the Convention on International Civil Aviation Protocols to Jersey.

Resource Implications: none.

Signature:

Signed By: Minister for External Relations and Financial Services

Date Signed:

Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Request for extension of Convention on International Civil Aviation Protocols to Jersey

Protocol to Amend Article 50(a) and Protocol to Amend Article 56 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation

February 2022

Report

Issue

The UK Government has asked for the Government of Jersey to consider the extension of two Protocols amending the Convention on International Civil Aviation (“the Chicago Convention”) to Jersey. The UK is in the process of ratifying the two Protocols and request a response by Tuesday 15 February 2022.

The Protocols amend Articles 50(a) and 56 of the Chicago Convention to increase the size of the ICAO Council to 40 members, and the ANC to 21 members, respectively. The Protocols will come into force only after ratification by 128 ICAO Member States.

As these are procedural amendments to the governance of the Chicago Convention, there will be no financial or human resource implication to the Island or the Government of Jersey.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Minister for External Relations and Financial Services agrees to extend the two Protocols to Jersey in order for a formal request for extension to be made through official channels.

Following agreement, officials in the Ministry of External Relations shall take the necessary steps to process the formal request for the extension through the official channel.

Background

The Chicago Convention was signed on 7 December 1944 by 52 States, including the UK. The UK ratified the Chicago Convention on 1 March 1947, and it entered into force on 4 April 1947. The Convention aims to regulate international air transport and established the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations. The aims and objectives of ICAO are to develop the principles and techniques of international air navigation and to foster the planning and development of international air transport.

During an ICAO Assembly Session in 2016, the Assembly voted in favour of expanding the membership of both the ICAO Council, from 33 to 40, and the Air Navigation Commission (ANC), from 19 to 21.

The ICAO Council is a permanent body of ICAO and is elected by the ICAO Assembly for a period of three years. It has several functions, including administering the finances of ICAO, appointing and defining the duties of the Air Transport Committee, appointing the members of the ANC, and adopting Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) for incorporation into the Annexes to the Chicago Convention. The ANC is a technical body that considers and recommends SARPs and Procedures for Air Navigation Services (PANS) for adoption and approval by the ICAO Council.

The United Kingdom is a member of ICAO and supports the ratification of both Protocols. It has stated that the Protocols will add to the expertise and global diversity of both the Council and ANC.

Jersey, as a Crown Dependency, falls under the umbrella of the UK’s Membership of ICAO. As the Protocols only relate to changes to ICAO’s internal structure, ratification will not have any practical effects in Jersey. Jersey will continue to be represented on both the Council and ANC through the UK’s membership.