About - Aviation Security Obligations - International Civil Aviation Organisation - ICAO
Australia’s aviation security obligations stem from our obligations to ICAO (the International Civil Aviation Organisation) based in Montreal Canada. ICAO grew out of the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation attended by 54 States (countries). After 26 countries ratified the Chicago Convention agreements, ICAO was established on 4 April 1947. ICAO became a special agency of the United Nations in October 1947 and had 187 Contracting States as at 1 March 2002.
One of the catalysts for the creation of ICAO was the need to establish arrangements for aircraft to fly across international borders without being shot down. However, no one anticipated today's need for security while drafting the Chicago Convention. The first Aviation Security arrangements were not adopted until March 1974 when the ICAO Council adopted Annex 17 "Safeguarding International Aviation Against Acts of Unlawful Interference".
The current role of ICAO is to set international standards and regulations for the safety, security, efficiency and regularity of air transport and serves as the medium for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 187 contracting states.
Australia was an inaugural member of ICAO and was elected to the Interim Council in December 1944. Australia has been a strong supporter of ICAO and is currently elected to the 33 member ICAO Council as one of the ten "States of Chief Importance in Air Transport". Australia is represented at ICAO by appointees from the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.
Australia is obligated to comply with ICAO Conventions because Australia is a Contracting State of ICAO. States who do not comply with the Conventions risk sanctions and rejection of international flights.