To commemorate International Day Commemorating Air Crash Victims and their Families, ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano has issued the following statement:
Respect for victims of aircraft accidents and their families’ mental, physical and spiritual well-being is paramount to ICAO and to all aviation stakeholders. With the help of the insights and appeals of committed representatives of victims and their families and the support of all stakeholders, the ICAO Council is assuring continuous advocacy and attention for these important global priorities, and helping States set the regulatory framework through the provisions of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
In this regard, ICAO elevated an existing Recommended Practice to a Standard in 2022, thus heightening the responsibility on States to establish legislation, regulations and policies in support of assistance to aircraft accident victims and their families. ICAO is currently working on accident investigation standards and recommended practices towards enhancing the comprehensive and timely provision of information to accident victims and their families.
A training course has also been developed to help regulators set out appropriate family assistance legislation and plans and ICAO has established a dedicated expert group to enhance the implementation of practical measures related to assistance to aircraft accident victims and their families. As part of our ongoing efforts to raise awareness of this important subject, the second symposium on Assistance to Aircraft Accident Victims and their Families (AAAVF) is planned to be held in the Kingdom of the Netherlands in November later this year.