The Republic receives the highest number of votes so far for a council position in the United Nations’ aviation standards body
[SINGAPORE] The city-state has once again been elected to the council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), garnering the highest number of votes of any council member thus far.
Singapore was voted in at the 42nd session of the ICAO held in Montreal, Canada, on Saturday (Sep 27) evening. The country was represented by a delegation led by Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow.
In a media statement on Sunday, Siow said: “Singapore is honoured to be re-elected to the ICAO council. The strong international leadership by ICAO, with support from member states and industry, will enable governments, industry and international organisations to work together to address challenges ahead.”
In a LinkedIn post on Sunday morning, he added that Singapore had been re-elected with “a record number of votes”.
Siow, who is also senior minister of state for Finance, said: “In a world where rules matter less and small countries find it harder to exert influence, we have to work harder with like-minded partners to secure our interests. Well functioning international organisations like ICAO remain important platforms for us to build a world that Singapore can continue to do well and prosper.”
The city-state was first elected to the ICAO council in 2003 and has been a member of the body ever since.
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ICAO is an agency of the United Nations that is responsible for developing and maintaining the standards for aviation, including those related to safety, air navigation and security.
Formed in 1944, it became the UN’s official aviation standards agency in 1947.
The ICAO assembly is its policymaking entity. It is made up of representatives from ICAO’s 193 member states and gathers every three years to further the organisation’s broader work, such as adopting resolutions and deciding its priorities.
The assembly also votes on the ICAO council, which is the organisation’s permanent governing body that continually sets direction and adopts standards, amongst other work.
Singapore led with 176 votes
Balloting for the council is held three times for different categories:
- Countries of chief importance in air transport
- Countries that make the largest contribution to the provision of facilities for international civil air navigation
- States ensuring geographic representation.
The first two sections of balloting have concluded, with 22 of the 36-seat council now elected. The remainder will be voted in with the final ballot on Sep 30.
Singapore, eligible for election under the second ballot, won with 176 votes. Saudi Arabia was the second highest with 175, and Brazil was third with 167.
Russia failed to be elected. It received the lowest number of votes in the first ballot – 87 – short of the 93 required. It lost its spot in 2022, following the outbreak of the Ukraine war.
At the opening of the assembly on Sep 23, ICAO council president, Salvatore Sciacchitano, reiterated the need for strengthening oversight, modernising infrastructure and implementing the organisation’s standards, as well as accelerating towards its 2050 goal of net-zero carbon emissions.
“A system currently built to serve 4.6 billion passengers will not accommodate three times that number, unless we ensure its transformation,” he said.
