This Year Marks The Organization's 70th Anniversary

The Honourable Lisa Raitt, Canada’s Minister of Transport, and the Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Foreign Affairs, were pleased to welcome to Parliament Hill a high-level delegation from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on Tuesday. ICAO is a United Nations agency headquartered in Montreal, and this year marks the 70th anniversary of its founding.

The delegation is comprised of Council President Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, outgoing Secretary General Raymond Benjamin, and his successor Dr. Fang Liu, who recently became the first woman elected as Secretary General of ICAO. Currently ICAO’s Director of Administration and Services, Dr. Liu assumes her new role on August 1, 2015.

"It’s my great pleasure to welcome this high-level ICAO delegation on the occasion of the Organization’s 70th anniversary," Raitt said. "Canada has been there since the beginning and we will continue to support the essential work ICAO does to strengthen the safety, security and sustainability of civil aviation around the world. I’d like to thank Secretary General Raymond Benjamin for his leadership and congratulate Dr. Fang Liu on her historic election as the first woman Secretary General of ICAO. I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome her to this new role."

In honour of ICAO’s 70th anniversary, the delegation was recognized during various events on Parliament Hill, including by the Speaker of the Senate and by the Speaker of the House of Commons. The Ministers reaffirmed Canada’s strong commitment as host country to ICAO and congratulated the Organization on 70 years of important work in global aviation. They also thanked Mr. Benjamin for his six years of service as Secretary General and gave a warm welcome to Dr. Liu, underscoring Canada’s desire to continue its close collaboration with her and the Organization.

FMI: www.icao.int