From October 15 to October 25, 2013 the Committee Phase of the 200th Session of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council took place in Montreal, Canada. It was the first meeting of the new Council which includes 36 countries selected during the 38th Session of the ICAO Assembly. It was historically the first meeting of the Council, in the meetings of which Poland will participate during the years 2013-2016. The Council meeting was attended by Mr. Piotr Ołowski - President of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Republic of Poland and Ms. Małgorzata Polkowska - Permanent Representative of the ICAO Council. During the 10 days of the Session a series of meetings of the Committees of the Council was held.
On the first day of the Council’s meeting the members of various committees were selected. The Polish representative on the ICAO Council will participate in the Air Transport Committee which is an advisory body of the Council established to carry out the tasks set out by the Council, including studies, research and presentation of proposals for economic issues of air transport. Poland will also take part in the works of the Technical Cooperation Committee tackling the problems of technological assistance in the field of civil aviation to developing countries working in close cooperation with the UNDP (United Nations Development Program).
The Polish representative will also sit on the special Committee of the ICAO Council which obtains nominations for the Award from the Organization's 191 Member States, from institutions or from individuals. The Committee then recommends for the approval of the ICAO Council the selected individual or institution whose efforts for civil aviation are considered to be most outstanding. The award is named after the first President of ICAO - Edward Warner. The Edward Warner Award is a gold medal with the recipient’s name engraved on it, and a certificate of recognition citing the reasons for the Award. Since 1959, the award has been granted 40 times. During the 38th Session of the ICAO Assembly in 2013, Dr. Assad Kotaite - President Emeritus of the ICAO Council was awarded.
On 21 October 2013 the Technical Co-operation Committee took place. During the meeting the participants have considered a number of documents, including documents relating to the establishment of the Management Plan for the Technical Co-operation Programme, which will include goals, objectives, timelines and financial requirements for the Programme. The participants also have considered the Work Programme of the Technical Co-operation Committee for the 201st Session of the Council, which will be held from 13 to 31 January 2014.
In addition the meeting of the Finance Committee took place, during which the Report on Technical Cooperation Programme Development and 2014 Administrative and Operational Services Cost (AOSC) have been presented. During Session of ICAO Council a series of meetings with members of the Council took place. The participants raised topics related among others to the unresolved Significant Safety Concerns (SSCs) and the planned start of their publication on the website of ICAO from January 2014. Moreover, the need to work on the regulation on air operations and safety of commercial passenger suborbital flights which will start in the near future was signaled. It was noted that such flights will be subject to the regulations of the air law and space law. Ms. Małgorzata Polkowska – the Polish Permanent Representative on the ICAO Council took the floor on that matter and confirmed the need to involve ICAO in the works on space law regulations. On October 22 the meeting of the Committee on Relations with the Host Country ( RHCC ) and the Committee on Human Resources (CHR) took place. On October 23, 2013 a meeting of the Air Transport Committee was held. The Air Transport Committee meetings are attended by representatives from all 36 Member States which are in the ICAO Council. During the meeting the Report of the Sixth Worldwide Air Transport Conference and Directives for Panels of the Air Transport Committee were presented. The participants have also considered adoption of amendment 24 to Annex 9 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation and the Work Programme of ATC for the 201st Session of the ICAO Council. A meeting concerning elections of the President of the ICAO Council was also held. The elections will take place in November 2013.
On October 25 the second meeting of the Finance Committee was held. During the meeting the Vice-Chairman of the Committee was elected, the Annual Report of the Evaluation and Audit Advisory Committee (EAAC) was presented. The participants also considered the Work Programme of the Finance Committee for the 201st Session of the Council.
The Polish Delegation also met with representatives of the other countries which are members of the Council.