Spain leads the initiative to improve assistance to victims of air accidents

USPA NEWS - The next Monday, June 8, the Council of ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) will vote on Amendment 25 to Annex No. 9 to the Chicago Convention, to include a new measure in the form of a recommendation by the 191 States to support the victims and family of aviation accidents.

This recommendation concludes a review process of assistance to victims of civil aviation accidents in order to replace it with a new ICAO policy in this area as well as the adoption of a manual to assist victims of civil aviation accidents both in 2013. The adoption of a recommendation in an annex is an important step in the obligation to have at the national level of measures to assist victims of civil aviation accidents.

Spain chaired the Task Force of 35 States, four international organizations and the group of families of victims of air accidents, established by the Council of ICAO to develop a policy document ICAO work ended December 6, 2012. Spain was also the promoter of the inclusion of an amendment to annex 9 to have a recommended on the matter, an issue that was raised for membership of ECAC States, as well as a common position of the European Union method, and moved for adoption to the Assembly of ICAO in October 2013, for the assistance of the Spanish Minister of Development, Ana Pastor, to the assembly.

Spain also chaired the meeting on assistance to victims of civil aviation accidents during the High Level Conference on Security held in February 2015 in Montreal. The text of the method recommended to be included in Annex 9 and which will be adopted on Monday corresponds exactly with the proposal that Spain did in the Assembly in September 2013. Moreover, once it adopted the amendment, our country is working with the secretariat of ICAO Audit Protocol USOAP (Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program) is updated including questions regarding the implementation of this new method recommended by each of the States.

This, in addition to encouraging its implementation, represents an indication of the level of compliance, which will in due course to recommend stronger measures, such as an international standard. With these measures Spain has led an important step in the support and recognition of the victims of air accidents, both internationally and nationally, which have also adopted various regulations and coordination measures.