The initiative began in 2014 during the first ICAO Council off-site strategy session. They had a goal to establish ways ICAO could better communicate with and assist its Member States. At the time, there were a lot of discrepancies with how some States were implementing ICAO SARPs; improving this became an important priority.
The ICAO Council determined that ICAO should focus its activities on States with higher accident rates or security threats and review what the Organization could do to encourage developed countries to provide more comprehensive assistance to developing countries. They also resolved that ICAO itself should provide more direct assistance to developing countries by playing a more active coordination role between States and by helping to generate the political will needed for States to pool resources, participate in regional efforts, earmark voluntary funds, and build capacity.
ICAO’s No Country Left Behind (NCLB) initiative was established to assist States in implementing ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). The main goal was to help ensure that SARP implementation is better harmonized globally so that all States have access to the significant socio-economic benefits of safe and reliable air transport. This work supports our efforts to resolve Significant Safety Concerns (SSCs) that are brought to light through ICAO’s safety oversight audits, as well as other safety, security and emissions-related objectives.
Through the NCLB initiative, we can coordinate and publicize the Organization-wide activities that support these priorities. We are able to provide more direct assistance to developing countries by playing a more active coordination role between States and by helping to generate the political will needed for States to pool resources, participate in regional efforts, earmark voluntary funds, and build capacity.