Secretary Anthony Foxx

39th General Assembly International Civil Aviation Organization
Montréal, Quebec  • September 27, 2016

Remarks as prepared for delivery

Good morning, everyone.  

Madame Secretary General and distinguished colleagues, it’s truly an honor to represent the United States at the 39th Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

President Aliu, I want to thank you for all you have done and continue to do to advance the universal goals of safety and security in air transport.  
For 72 years, ICAO has encouraged consensus, progress, and growth in international aviation. As a Member State, we are grateful.

Today alone, more than 100,000 commercial flights worldwide will carry 10 million passengers and $17.5 billion worth of goods.  

At the same time, air travel is safer and more reliable than ever. But as we enjoy this unprecedented growth and progress, we also must confront new challenges.
I would like to spend my few minutes highlighting issues that are important to the United States and that we believe will, ultimately, affect all Member States.

First, we must agree on a comprehensive approach to achieving carbon-neutral growth.

Climate change is one of the greatest long-term threats to our planet, our children, and future generations. President Obama made environmental stewardship a key focus of his administration and is in full support of international efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

I would like to recognize ICAO's leadership in seeking to achieve carbon-neutral growth through a basket of measures.

These measures include technical and operational enhancements, alternative fuel options, and the development of a Global Market Based Measure (GMBM).

The United States applauds the ICAO Council's historic endorsement of a ground breaking resolution to adopt a Global Market Based Measure. We welcome early participation in the scheme by almost sixty states -- representing over eighty percent of aviation activity -- and strongly urge all nations to support this comprehensive plan.

Second, we must work together to safely integrate unmanned aircraft systems into the global aviation system.  Unmanned or remotely piloted aviation systems are developing at an unprecedented pace.

Collaborating with industry, the United States has taken a leadership role in developing a framework of regulations that ensure safety while fostering continued innovation in the growing marketplace for these aircraft.

We look forward to working with Member States as the international community addresses this issue on a global basis.

Third, ICAO made a difficult but sound decision last year by temporarily banning the shipment of lithium ion batteries aboard passenger aircraft.

We urge Member States to enforce this prohibition, not just against airline operators, but against the shippers, the forwarders, and everyone else involved in the transport of these potentially dangerous goods.  

Fourth, we must establish a roadmap for ICAO and its Member States for effective crisis management.

We all experience man-made or natural crises, and the United States historically has supported its neighbors in responding to situations that hinder civil aviation.  We will present a working paper on this issue and urge this Assembly to thoughtfully consider our proposed actions.  

Finally, the United States continues to support the ICAO Global Air Navigation, Global Aviation Safety and the Global Aviation Security Plans as the frameworks for improving aviation safety, security and efficiency.

However, the process by which ICAO’s standards and recommended practices are maintained must be reviewed frequently and adapted as necessary to accommodate the evolving needs of Member States.

We look forward to working with all of you to support the outcomes of the 39th Assembly and remain committed to the development of our skies while reducing our carbon footprint.

Thank you.

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