ICAO Secretary General Dr Fang Liu at the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing highlighted the critical role of air transport in forging new trade routes between Belt and Road countries and other states.
She emphasized that air transport growth holds further economic potential, but that to benefit from it countries need both the capacity in place to accommodate higher numbers of flights, in addition to the skilled personnel needed to manage them.
“A key call to action I would therefore propose today is that countries firmly commit to investments in modernized aviation infrastructure and skilled human resources development, and in a manner which aligns these critical air transport objectives with their overall national development strategies,” Dr. Liu underscored.
The Secretary General informed her audience that ICAO developed agreements with China to leverage the synergies between the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted under the UN’s Agenda 2030 and the Belt and Road Initiative. She highlighted the training and assistance programmes that ICAO has already begun and stressed the importance of new technologies and other innovations in accelerating these development trends.