Dominica has now become the 193rd Member State of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) following its official adherence to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention).

Dominica deposited its notification of adherence to the Convention on 14 March 2019, and its ICAO Member State status became effective thirty days after on 13 April 2019. ICAO was advised of the development by the Government of the United States of America, which serves as the depositary of the Chicago Convention. ICAO Member States were advised separately of the development via a State Letter.

"The safe, secure, and sustainable development of air connectivity is underpinned by compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and the implementation of our global plans and other guidance materials. Joining ICAO is the first step towards compliance," noted the President of the ICAO Council, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu. "As aviation is pivotal to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted under the UN's Agenda 2030, and is particularly crucial to the sustainable economic prosperity and resilience of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Dominica's ratification of the Chicago Convention will represent a significant moment in history."

ICAO membership will be particularly important for the development of Dominica's tourism sector, as air transport and tourism are major and highly synergistic economic sectors. This is illustrated by the fact that, at the global level, 57 per cent of international tourists travel to and from their destinations by air. The combined contribution to the world GDP of these two sectors is in fact close to 14 per cent. Significant growth in air services and tourism is forecast, which represents a particularly important opportunity for island States like Dominica.

"Dominica will now be able to access the global guidance and support ICAO delivers through our No Country Left Behind initiative. It enables our member States to develop aviation policies, strategies, and capacity that are optimized in terms of unlocking the sustainable development benefits of international air connectivity," said ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu. "We look forward to welcoming Dominica to events such as the upcoming ICAO World Aviation Forum, which provides States with unique opportunities to connect with the world's key aviation and finance stakeholders and expand their aviation sector through strategic partnerships. A strong foundation for these partnerships will be provided by the ICAO strategic guidance, linked to our safety and security auditing, that Dominica will now be receiving."

Like the other States in the Caribbean, Dominica will receive crucial support from ICAO's North American, Central American, and Caribbean (NACC) Regional Office, enabling it to thoroughly identify and benefit from the opportunities presented by its ICAO membership, and participate fully in regional and global aviation planning going forward.

Contributed by ICAO