ICAO Regional Air Transport Facilitation Forum in Cameroon
Published: Monday, 03 March 2025 07:15
The Minister of State, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, officially opened the Forum on March 03, 2025, at the Yaoundé Conference Centre in Yaoundé.
This was in the presence of Mr. Juan Carlos Salazar, Secretary General of ICAO, who highlighted three major priorities: digital innovation, improving the passenger experience with a focus on accessible transport for the disabled, and secure global connectivity, to be taken into account to develop a seamless and efficient transport network across the world. The two-day Forum, under the theme “Seamless skies: facilitating a connected world”, is jointly organized by the Ministry of Transport and the National Delegation of National Security, with the technical expertise of the Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA), the state body in charge of regulating and monitoring civil aviation safety and security in Cameroon.
In his speech, the Minister of State reviewed the major advances made in Cameroon's civil aviation sector and the regulatory framework established by public authorities to improve safety, security, and facilitation, despite the current context marked by a resurgence in cross-border insecurity and the proliferation of counterfeit documents. He also expressed the hope that the forum's recommendations would find solutions to all these complex air transport concerns. The Minister of Transport echoed these sentiments, expressing the hope that the themes to be addressed during the sessions would enhance the efficient management of air transport operations.
It is worth noting that various parts of Annex 9 - Facilitation to the Convention on International Civil Aviation and ICAO's wider facilitation program, which are of particular interest to various African and regional stakeholders, are on the session's agenda. The event also aims to continue activities that raise awareness and support the implementation of the ICAO Year of Facilitation 2024, as well as to mark the recent 75th anniversary of Annex 9. Through its theme, this forum will therefore focus on how to improve the travel experience for all travelers, examining aspects throughout the journey and opportunities arising from rapid technological developments. The event will see the participation of several aviation authorities and entities operating in related fields, such as border control authorities, public health authorities, airlines and airport operators from all ICAO member states.
The city's mayor took the opportunity to outline the many infrastructural achievements of the CCAA around Nsimalen International Airport and the various supports provided to local residents, which have truly changed the face of the entrance to the capital Yaoundé.
Trans: MKG/CEA-CRP
