ICAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with 193 member states, giving it a truly universal character.
ICAO is based on the Convention on International Civil Aviation, which was signed in Chicago on 7 December 1944. According to Article 44 of this Convention, the purpose and objective of ICAO is to develop the principles and techniques of international air navigation and to foster the planning and development of international air transport. Today, ICAO fulfils this mandate by adopting technical standards and recommended practices (SARPs), developing international air law instruments, seeking solutions in the fields of economics and environmental protection, and promoting technical cooperation. In recent years, ICAO has also assumed oversight functions by operating a global monitoring programme on the implementation of aviation safety standards and conducting audits on the application of security measures against acts of unlawful interference.
The Assembly and the Council are ICAO’s two main governing bodies. The Council, as the executive body, currently comprises 36 member states and is elected by the Assembly every three years. Its key tasks include convening the Assembly, adopting standards and recommendations on technical and economic matters, and settling disputes between member states.
Switzerland has participated in ICAO since 1980 through the ABIS rotational group. ABIS consists of Belgium, Ireland, Croatia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, and Switzerland. Through ABIS, Switzerland is able to present and defend its interests in the ICAO Council. According to the rotation principle, each ABIS state nominates a candidate for the Council every three years. The current ABIS representative on the ICAO Council is Christian Schleifer from Austria.
In addition, ICAO has a permanent technical advisory body—the Air Navigation Commission—comprising 19 experts. The ABIS group holds a permanent seat on the Commission, which is currently filled by Frederik Blaauw of Belgium.
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