The air passenger experience encompasses numerous demands that countries address, including efficient travel document and border management, sharing information, identifying high-risk travelers, conducting security screenings for individuals and cargo, pursuing global anti-terrorism goals, and prioritizing various interconnected objectives.
Because of the overlapping and complementary nature of these programmes and activities, governments have formalized Security and Facilitation as a joint and official Strategic Objective for international aviation, and they continuously pursue new strategic planning and other policy and standards innovations through ICAO to address their latest challenges.
In the civil aviation community, facilitation is of particular interest to four major groups (ICAO Member States, aircraft and airport operators, and customers), each having a somewhat different priority, although their interests do overlap. The primary interest of States is full compliance with their laws and regulations. The vital interest of aircraft operators is increasing productivity by minimizing the costs of operational delays and administrative procedures. Airports are interested in facilitation in order to reduce congestion in the passenger terminals and in the cargo sheds. The fourth group, the customers of air transport (passengers and cargo shippers), want quality service, which means being allowed to proceed through airports with minimal delay and difficulty. ICAO’s challenge in the Facilitation Programme is to address all of these interests in a coordinated manner, while working toward the objective of a more efficient, orderly and attractive transportation product.
To support these efforts, ICAO will host the 18th annual Symposium and Exhibition on the ICAO Traveller Identification Programme (TRIP) and Joint International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Biometrics Forum that will take place from 12 to 14 September 2023 at ICAO Headquarters in Montréal.
The TRIP Symposium is a world-class event that enables the exchange of information on all aspects of traveller identification management. Its various sessions will highlight the need to enhance international cooperation and collaboration to facilitate the traveller’s journey while addressing the multiple threats faced by international civil aviation. The improvement of the passenger experience will be achieved by promoting the global regulatory framework established by the provisions of Annex 9 – Facilitation to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, and linking it to the new technology tools available on the market.
The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to advancing technologies and digitized processes and operations to facilitate greater interactions between passengers and border and health authorities. The introduction of these new technologies have improved efforts by authorities to gain greater control of their borders. Together with the TRIP Symposium, the ICAO/INTERPOL Joint Biometrics Forum will be the occasion for both Organizations to provide additional insight regarding best practices, specifications, and technical mechanisms allowing a successful application and use of biometrics.
An exhibition will complement the Symposium, displaying a broad range of products and services related notably to travel document security applications, health proofs emission and authentication, border inspection and automated border control systems, and identification management.
A lot of topics will be covered during the event, the detailed programme is available here. Please continue to check back for the latest updates on the Symposium.
Who should attend?
- Passport issuing offices, civil registries offices, border control and law enforcement agencies, immigration and customs agencies, aircraft operators, airport authorities, health authorities, ministries of interior, foreign affairs, justice, as well as embassy consular staff.
- International organizations, donor agencies, private companies offering technologies and products for effective international identification and border management.
- Airlines and airport authorities, aviation security and travel facilitation consultants, academia and think tanks.
Please refer to the registration information for the focal contact emails for States or for additional categories: industry, organization, general public, academia, sponsors, exhibitors, media.
