CAAB hosts African Civil Aviation Committee meetings

Botswana is hosting the 26th Extraordinary Plenary Session of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) which started yesterday (Monday), and will run on up to Friday. The Plenary session will be preceded by two back-to- back statutory meetings: the 14th Air Transport Committee meeting on 7 to 8 November and the 17th Meeting of the Technical Committee on the 9th.According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana which is the hosting organization, they expected 200 delegates being Directors General of Civil Aviation and Aviation experts from the
54 Member states of AFCAC and the AU and partner organizations for this week-long meetings. In addition, the meetings will be attended by regional and international bodies such as the African Airlines Association and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), including industry stakeholders such as Boeing.
The meetings, according to CAAB, will discuss among others issues pertaining to the improvement of key industry values such as good governance and best practices, transparency and accountability, professionalism and integrity, and a safe and just culture across the African aviation landscape. The agendas will vary depending on the particular meeting, and will cover topics such as Aviation Safety and Security, Environment, Air Transport, Legal and Africa-wide aviation policies.
AFCAC is a body of nations created by the Constitutional Conference convened by ICAO and the then Organization of African Unity (OAU; now African Union AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1964. AFCAC was fully established and began functioning in 1969 and on 11 May 1978, became an OAU Specialized Agency in the field of Civil Aviation.
AFCAC is managed through a triennial Plenary (consisting of all member States). The Bureau is made up of a President, Five Vice-Presidents representing Northern, Western, Eastern, Central and Southern Africa Regions) elected for a period of three years, including the Coordinator of the African Group at the ICAO Council.
Botswana currently represents the Southern African region in the AFCAC Bureau. The Secretariat is headed by a Secretary General. The Commission’s vision is to “foster a safe, secure, efficient, cost-effective, sustainable and environmentally friendly Civil Aviation industry in Africa.” As the specialized agency of the African Union responsible for Civil Aviation matters in Africa, AFCAC aims to facilitate cooperation and coordination among African States towards the development of integrated and sustainable Air transport systems; and foster the implementation of ICAO SARPs and the development of harmonized rules and regulations consistent with the best international practices in civil aviation.