Group of Experts on Aviation Safety, Security and Assistance (GEASA)

Meeting Summary

Foreword

The meeting was presided by Capt. Merlin Preuss Director General, Civil Aviation for Canada. The GEASA/2 Agenda is included within this Meeting Summary as Appendix A. Facilities for English and Spanish interpretation were available throughout the meeting.

Attendance

Fourteen (14) participants from 5 countries and the ICAO North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACC) Office attended the meeting. Countries present were Argentina (2), Canada (5), Colombia (1), Jamaica (2) and the United States (3). There was 1 representative of the ICAO NACC Office.

A detailed list of the names, titles and contact information for all attendees is included in Appendix B to this Meeting Summary.

Presentations by the attendees

1) GEASA Project Criteria - Proposed by the United States

The United States made a presentation on the proposed project criteria to be used when assessing new projects to be supported by GEASA.

GEASA/2 reviewed and amended it based on attendees' comments. The final version of the project criteria is included in Appendix C to this Meeting Summary.

Action Item 2-1: GEASA Secretariat to amend Project Criteria as required.

2) Air Traffic Systems (ATS) Quality Assurance - Presented by Colombia

Colombia made a presentation on a program with respect to ATS Quality Assurance. The program is designed to avoid ATS-related incidents and improve overall quality of Air Traffic Services.

Mr. Carlos Ortega Bonilla, Colombia representative, described Colombia's current scenario in terms of ATS, as well as the framework to achieve the intended goals. In this regard, Mr. Bonilla also mentioned the contribution of Transport Canada in a 5-phase project to implement ATS Quality Assurance in Colombia.

Mr. Bonilla's presentation was very valuable and all attendees agreed with Colombia's approach with respect to ATS and its objectives to improve quality. Members recognized the advancement of Colombia in this area and the openness to share their expertise with other aviation authorities.

3) Mitigation of ATS Related Incidents and Accidents through the Elimination of Aeronautical Phraseology Deficiencies in the CAR/SAM Regions - Presented by ICAO

Mr. Bernal Mesen, ICAO North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACC) Office, made a presentation on behalf of Mr. Raymond Ybarra, ICAO NACC Regional Director, on "Mitigation of ATS Related Incidents and Accidents through the Elimination of Aeronautical Phraseology Deficiencies in the CAR/SAM Regions", which was reviewed and approved-in-principle by GEASA/2.

The objective of the project is to assist CAR/SAM States in the implementation of ATS Quality Assurance Programs in order to enhance the provision of ATS and to improve the proper use of Aeronautical Phraseology. This project supports the GREPECAS Work Program.

Action Item 2-2: ICAO to resubmit the project proposal in a format that takes into account all the elements of the approved GEASA project criteria.

4) AVSEC Training Project - Presented by ICAO

Mr. Bernal Mesen, ICAO North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACC) Office, made a presentation on behalf of Mr. Raymond Ybarra, ICAO NACC Regional Director, on "AVSEC Training Project". GEASA/2 reviewed and approved-in-principle this project sponsored by ICAO.

The AVSEC Training project involves the development and delivery of workshops within the hemisphere to enhance AVSEC knowledge and personnel skills in States, in preparation for the upcoming ICAO audit assessing compliance to the provisions of ICAO Annex 17 Aviation Security. This project supports the GREPECAS AVSEC Committee work program.

Action Item 2-3: ICAO to resubmit the project proposal in a format that takes into account all the elements of the approved GEASA project criteria. As a result of interventions of the representatives of Argentina, ICAO was invited to consider expanding costing details in relations to workshops within the ICAO SAM Region.

Action Item 2-4: ICAO and Canada to work together to develop project proposal template based on the approved GEASA project criteria.

5) List of Technical Cooperation Projects to be Funded - Presented by ICAO

Mr. Bernal Mesen, ICAO North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACC) Office, presented a list of potential projects in the Western Hemisphere to be funded. The list contains projects that may significantly increase safety/security through improvement of areas such as personnel training, equipment, information sharing, etc. GEASA/2 reviewed and approved-in-principle this list of projects.

Action Item 2-5: ICAO to resubmit the projects proposal in a format that takes into account all the elements of the approved GEASA project criteria. In doing so, ICAO was invited to:

• consider consolidating project of a similar nature within a same safety oversight structure, i.e. RASOS (Regional Aviation Safety Oversight System);
• include a status report on implementation for those projects currently under way; and
• emphasize those projects that impact a larger number of States.

Jamaica described the RASOS program. GEASA/2 reviewed the "ICAO COSCAP-CAR" (No. RLA/02/901) proposal, one of the projects in the list presented by ICAO, in light of the RASOS initiative and determined that due to the extent of the implementation of RASOS, the need for the COSCAP-CAR was no longer evident and had the potential to constitute a duplication of effort towards a same objective.

Proposal to amend the WHTI Ministerial Declaration

GEASA/2 acknowledged the importance of the GEASA initiative for the improvement of safety and security in the Western Hemisphere.

One of the actions that the GEASA Secretariat could undertake to improve the effectiveness of how project proposals are assessed and funded is to request an amendment to the WHTI Ministerial Declaration, adopted at the III WHTI Ministerial Meeting of December 14-16, 1998 held in New Orleans. The following action item resulted from these discussions.

Action Item 2-6: GEASA Secretariat to submit to the WHTI Executive Committee a proposal to modify the Ministerial Declaration adopted at the III WHTI Ministerial Meeting of December 14-16, 1998 held in New Orleans. The proposal is to include elements identified during GEASA/1 and GEASA/2, as follows:

• The provision of safety oversight on a regional basis as efficient use of resources and as a measure to increase aviation safety and security in many parts of the world;
• Civil Aviation Authorities in many countries receive largely insufficient funding and support at the national level. Adequate resources are essential;
• There is need for coordination between Ministers responsible for Transportation and Ministers responsible for Civil Aviation when they are not the same;
• Continuity is an essential component in the management of civil aviation safety and security, particularly during times of changing government and Ministers;
• There is an inter-relationship between civil aviation and the economic development of any country and the resulting need for cooperation among ministries that benefit from civil aviation, such as tourism, labour, etc.;
• GEASA attendees believe in the potential effectiveness of GEASA with respect to aviation safety and security within the hemisphere. Ministers are requested to support the GEASA initiative.

Note: The elements mentioned in Action Item 2-6 have already been submitted to the Ministers at the V WHTI Ministerial Meeting of May 8-9, 2003 held in Ixtapa, Mexico.

GEASA Web Site

Carlos Carreiro, GEASA Secretariat, made a presentation on the GEASA web site.

As an action item from GEASA/1, Canada had volunteered to develop a GEASA component to the WHTI web site. Transport Canada - Civil Aviation Web Group has completed the task of developing the GEASA web site, which contains all applicable documents and information with respect to the initiative.

The web site can be accessed through any of the following internet addresses:

• www.whti-geasa.org (English acronym)
• www.itho-gespaa.org (Spanish acronym)
• www.itho-gessca.org (French acronym)
• www.itho-gesaa.org (Portuguese acronym)

The next step is to make the GEASA web site accessible through the WHTI web site.

The United States suggested that each country flag in the list of member countries link to another web page with all projects/programs of that particular country.

Action Item 2-7: GEASA Secretariat to request the WHTI Chair to include a GEASA web site link on a proper page of the WHTI web site.

Action Item 2-8: Transport Canada to revise the GEASA web site to add to each country flag a link to projects/programs of that particular country.

Other Business

As result of Colombia's comments, Canada agreed to make a presentation on aviation security at the next GEASA meeting.

Action Item 2-9: Canada to make a presentation on aviation security at the next GEASA meeting.

Outstanding Action Items from GEASA/1

The following action items are pending/ongoing from GEASA/1 and have been renumbered for tracking purposes as well as to facilitate their presentation in future GEASA meetings.

Action Item 1-1: Canada agreed to study the issue of criteria for assessing whether a project is of High, Moderate or Low impact on aviation safety and security. The results of this project will serve to define the requirements included in bullet # 2 of item 3 under TASKING in the GEASA Terms of Reference.

Action Item 1-2: Canada, acting as Secretariat for GEASA agreed to make presentations specifically to the IDB to pursue the creation of an aviation safety Line of Activity within the Multi-Lateral Fund and to explore the requirement for GEASA to obtain "executing agency" status within the IDB.

Action Item 1-3: Canada, acting as Secretariat for GEASA, agreed to make similar presentations to other potential funding institutions including but not limited to the World Bank, the Organization of American States (OAS), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Caribbean Development Bank, WHTI Governments, the ICAO International Financial Facility for Aviation Safety (IFFAS), and manufacturers such as Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier and Embraer.

Action Item 1-4: ALL have agreed to promote the efforts of GEASA both within and outside their national civil aviation community.

Action Item 1-5: ALL have agreed to explore all potential funding sources for aviation projects within their national civil aviation community.

Action Item 1-6: GEASA through the WHTI Executive Committee will advise Ministers that it fully supports safety oversight mechanisms on a regional basis as an efficient use of limited resources and as a potential enhancement to the safety of civil aviation.

Action Item 1-7: Canada, acting as Secretariat for GEASA, agreed to develop GEASA administrative procedures for meetings, ongoing work and consultation between meetings, and on the evaluation of projects.

Action Item 1-8: ALL have been asked to provide, if possible, detailed project descriptions so that GEASA can begin its work of considering projects.

Next Meeting

GEASA/2 agreed that it would be beneficial to set the date for the next meeting within 6 months. GEASA/2 tentatively agreed with the month of September 2003 for GEASA/3.

Mr. Carlos Ortega Bonilla, Civil Aeronautics Colombia, expressed interest from Colombia to host the next meeting. He is to verify feasibility and provide further details.

Merlin Preuss
Chairman GEASA/2
Director General Civil Aviation, Canada

May 15, 2003