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South Africa has been given the mammoth task of presiding over the International Civil Aviation Organisation assembly – the first since the Covid-19 pandemic shattered the sector.
Poppy Khoza, the CEO of the SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), was elected unanimously by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) member states to serve as president for the 41st assembly, which got under way on Tuesday. It will run for two weeks.
Khoza is the first woman to be elected to serve this important and highly specialised international body.
On this vote of confidence and the much-anticipated sitting, she said that this nod could only be a sign of how the rest of the world perceived South Africa’s contribution and value in world aviation matters.
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Khoza said:
ICAO was established in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation.
Deputy Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said: “It is historic for ICAO to have elected a first woman president of the assembly, with this happening when gender issues have taken centre stage globally. We are fostering gender equality, particularly in this male-dominated sector.”
She says this delegation speaks to Africa, but more particularly the recognition of African women in aviation because, since the establishment of ICAO 78 years ago, Khoza is the first woman who has been elected to serve this body.
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“Ever since she became the director of SACAA, she received clean audits from the Auditor-General of SA (AGSA) and has received awards both from the AGSA and the department of transport. We are happy and excited about this delegation.
“She makes our campaign for the election into the party of the ICAO council much easier. We hope and believe that countries will vote for South Africa because she is leading and presiding over the assembly.”
Chikunga believes that this historical achievement should not only be celebrated by African women only, but also by women around the world.
South Africa’s delegation, led by Chikunga, is also seeking re-election to the 36-country governing council this week, with this announcement expected on Saturday.
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The council sets policies that will guide the organisation in addressing civil aviation issues, with the elected members forming part of the ICAO governing body for three years.
South Africa has had an unbroken service with a seat in the 36-member governing council since 2003.
Topics that will be discussed at the two-week event include environmental protection, local air quality, climate change, as well as carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation, aviation safety and security, and economic development of air transport issues of recovery post the Covid-19 pandemic.
