Encyclopedia of the Nations :: United Nations Related Agencies

THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION (ICAO)

BACKGROUND: In 1910, a conference on international air law code, attended by representatives of 18 European nations, was convened in Paris, France. In 1919, following World War I, the Paris Peace Conference created the International Air Convention to govern aspects of civil aviation. The Convention, ratified by 38 nations, began the process of creating an International Commission for Air Navigation (ICAN); ICAN established headquarters in Paris in December 1922, with Albert Roper as general secretary. Following World War II (in November 1944), 32 nations signed a Convention on International Civil Aviation establishing the permanent International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to oversee international cooperation on regulations, standards, and procedures governing civil aviation. It took three years for the ratification process, but in 1947 ICAO took over the ICAN offices in Paris.

MEMBERSHIP

As of 20 June 2002, ICAO had 188 member states.

BUDGET

The 2001 assembly approved the following budgets: 2002, US$56,743,000; 2003, US$57,584,000; 2004, US$60,456,000. Contributions by member states are assessed on a sliding scale determined by the assembly.