Seminar on ICAO's Technical Co-operation Programme



WELCOME ADDRESS BY MR YEO CHEOW TONG

MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT

AT THE OPENING OF THE SEMINAR ON

ICAO’S TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME AND

SIGNING CEREMONY FOR THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) ON THE ICAO-SINGAPORE DEVELOPING COUNTRY TRAINING PROGRAMME

AT SINGAPORE AVIATION ACADEMY AUDITORIUM

MONDAY, 12 JANUARY 2004, 10.00 AM

Dr Assad Kotaite, President of the Council of ICAO

Distinguished Guests

Seminar Participants

Introduction

I am delighted to join all of you this morning for the opening of the Seminar on ICAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme and to sign the Memorandum of Understanding between ICAO and Singapore on training fellowships. Many of you have travelled long distances to be here for this Seminar. I extend a very warm welcome to you and I hope that you will have an interesting and enjoyable stay in Singapore. Whilst your attention will be focused on this Seminar, the sights and sounds of Singapore also beckon, and I hope that you will be able to find some time in your schedules to catch up on the interesting sights in Singapore. It is also my great pleasure and privilege to extend a very warm welcome to Dr Kotaite, President of the Council of ICAO, for once again honouring us with his visit to Singapore. Singapore has benefited extensively from Dr Kotaite’s guidance and leadership of ICAO, and I would like to thank him for his continued support.

ICAO’s Role in Promoting Technical Cooperation in International Civil Aviation

2 ICAO has been instrumental in promoting the development of technical cooperation in civil aviation among ICAO Contracting States. As early as 1952, ICAO recognised the importance of assisting ICAO Contracting States in developing and implementing projects to improve the security, efficiency, regularity and operational safety of international civil aviation. ICAO thus took the lead by setting up the ICAO Technical Cooperation Bureau. And through its ICAO Technical Cooperation Programme, the Technical Cooperation Bureau has helped developing countries promote aviation safety, security and efficiency and helped them achieve the standardisation of processes and practices comparable to those of developed countries.

3 The responsibilities of ICAO’s Technical Cooperation Bureau are set to grow with the rapid expansion of global aviation. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the international airline industry has consistently grown by an average of 6 to 7 per cent over the last 30 years[1] in terms of passenger and freight traffic. With increasingly crowded skies, technical cooperation will become even more vital and indispensable for the provision of safe and efficient air transport services. Through the sharing of experiences and best practices, civil aviation personnel the world over can learn from each other and adopt and adapt best practices for their own implementation. In this regard, this Seminar will help bring about greater awareness of the technical cooperation programmes available in the Asia Pacific region, and encourage more countries to take advantage of these available programmes to upgrade their civil aviation resources.

Singapore’s Commitment to Technical Cooperation

4 Singapore is honoured to be able to work with ICAO on this inaugural Seminar for the Asia Pacific region. This Seminar is symbolic of Singapore’s commitment to provide technical assistance to developing countries. We have been providing technical assistance to other developing countries since the 1960s. As a country whose only resource is its people, Singapore believes that human resource development is vital for economic and social progress. In our early years of economic development, we were fortunate to have received training assistance from other countries and international organisations. We benefited tremendously from the training programmes, and they certainly contributed significantly to our growth and prosperity. In the same vein, despite Singapore’s small size, we want to share our experiences with other developing countries in our own small way.

5 In the area of civil aviation, some 28,000 participants from 180 countries worldwide have been trained at the Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA) since it was established in 1958. Three years ago, we had the honour of working with ICAO on a Developing Country Training Programme. This is a 3-year programme that involved the provision of 100 training scholarships by Singapore. The 100 training fellowships covered five specialised courses on safety oversight, CNS/ATM and civil aviation management. The response to the programmes has been very positive and I am indeed happy that all 100 fellowships have been awarded to participants from over 50 ICAO Member States.

6 In view of the good response to the training fellowships, Singapore will be increasing the number of the fellowships offered for the next three years. The new ICAO-Singapore MOU to be signed this morning will be expanded to provide for another 120 fellowships from 2004 to 2006. New courses on safety management systems will be added, and the five courses offered under this MOU will also be reviewed on an annual basis. Where necessary, new courses will be introduced to meet the changing needs of the industry.

7 The signing of this MOU between Singapore and ICAO reaffirms the commitment of both ICAO and Singapore to strengthen technical cooperation and to the development of critical human resources within the international civil aviation community. It is Singapore’s small way of helping other developing countries, and we hope that it will mark the beginning of even more cooperation between Singapore and ICAO in the field of technical cooperation. With that, let me end by wishing all the Seminar participants an interesting and fruitful Seminar, and I hope you will enjoy your stay in Singapore.

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[1] IATA Annual Report 2003

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