MONTREAL, Canada – Delegates during the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) 19th Traveller Identification Programme (TRIP) Symposium, which took place last week at the organization’s Montréal headquarters, emphasized the urgent need to accelerate implementation of aviation facilitation strategies.
“The depth of expertise and innovation shared here has reaffirmed the strength of our partnerships,” remarked Juan Carlos Salazar, ICAO secretary-general. “Together, we are building a future of seamless, accessible, and reliable global mobility.”
The four-day event, which brought together over 600 participants from 76 states and six international organizations, underscored the importance of aligning global regulatory frameworks with cutting-edge technology. By doing so, the aviation community aims to improve the passenger journey while maintaining robust security and facilitation standards.
Fittingly, it came as global aviation celebrates both the 80th anniversary of the Convention on International Civil Aviation and the 75th anniversary of the Convention’s Annex 9 on facilitation this year, as well as the Year of Facilitation.
Themed “Harmonizing Processes for Free-Flowing Travel,” the Symposium focussed on the critical impact of innovations such as the ICAO Digital Travel Credential (DTC) and passenger data exchange standards like Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR). It also addressed the key components of the ICAO TRIP Strategy in relation to this objective and covered pressing challenges, such as mitigating biometric fraud through facial image enrollment security and the transition from physical passports to digital credentials.
Significant progress was made at the Symposium in several areas. The ICAO Public Key Directory (PKD) programme, in particular, marked a major milestone during the Symposium, welcoming Ethiopia as its 100th participant. This was an apt demonstration of the growing global commitment to enhanced border control processes.
“This milestone reflects the growing recognition that secure, efficient border crossings are essential for global mobility,” said ICAO secretary general Juan Carlos Salazar. “Each new participant strengthens our collective ability to verify travel documents quickly and reliably.”
This achievement coincided with the attribution of the TRIP Award of Excellence to Mario Wiesen for his contributions to advancing global traveller identification standards, particularly in his role as chairperson of the ICAO PKD Board since 2017.
Looking ahead, the Symposium provided a collaborative platform for States at various stages of implementation capacity. Support of ICAO’s “No Country Left Behind” strategic goal will help ensure that the decisions and declarations made at the event will translate into action.
Stakeholders will continue advancing their collaboration at the ICAO Facilitation Conference 2025 (FALC 2025) from 14 to 17 April 2025, which will be hosted by Qatar in Doha. The 20th TRIP Symposium, scheduled for 2025, will also further build upon these foundations for international cooperation.
