The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a UN specialized agency,

established by States in 1944 to manage the administration and governance of the Convention on
International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).

ICAO works with the Conventions 191 Member States and industry groups to reach consensus
on international civil aviation Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and policies in
support of a safe, efficient, secure, economically sustainable and environmentally responsible
civil aviation sector. Malaysia, as a Contracting State is bound to the Chicago Convention, and
adopts ICAOs Standards and Recommended Procedures (SARPs) as basis for its own Civil
Aviation Regulations. These SARPs and policies are used by ICAO Member States to ensure
that their local civil aviation operations and regulations conform to global norms, which in turn
permits more than 100,000 daily flights in aviations global network to operate safely and
reliably in every region of the world.

In addition to its core work resolving consensus-driven international SARPs and policies among
its Member States and industry, and among many other priorities and programmers, ICAO also
coordinates assistance and capacity building for States in support of numerous aviation
development objectives; produces global plans to coordinate multilateral strategic progress for
safety and air navigation; monitors and reports on numerous air transport sector performance
metrics; and audits States civil aviation oversight capabilities in the areas of safety and security.

The constitution of ICAO is the Convention on International Civil Aviation, drawn up by a

conference in Chicago in November and December 1944, and to which each ICAO Contracting
State is a party. According to the terms of the Convention, the Organization is made up of an
Assembly, a Council of limited membership with various subordinate bodies and a Secretariat.
The chief officers are the President of the Council and the Secretary General. To promote
multilateral agreements between nations in order that international civil aviation may be
developed in a safe and orderly manner and that international air transport services may be
establish on the basis of equality of opportunity and operated soundly and economically.

One of ICAOs chief activities is standardisation, the establishment of International Standards,

Recommended Practices and Procedures covering the technical fields of aviation, which include:
Licensing of personnel

Aircraft noise and engine emissions

Aeronautical information services

Search and rescue

Aircraft accident investigation

 Nationality and registration marks

Air traffic services

Airworthiness

Aeronautical charts

Aeronautical communications

Aeronautical meteorology

Rules of the air

Units of measurement

Operation of aircraft

Aerodromes

Security and the safe transport of dangerous goods

The Council, the governing body which is elected by the Assembly for a three-year term, is
composed of 36 States. As governing body, the Council gives continuing direction to the work of
ICAO. Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) are adopted and incorporated as
Annexes to the Convention of International Civil Aviation. The Assembly chooses the Council
Member States under three headings of States of chief importance in air transport, States which
make the largest contribution to the provision of facilities for air navigation, and States whose
designation will ensure that all major areas of the world are represented. As the governing body,
the Council gives continuing direction to the work of ICAO. It is in the Council that Standards
and Recommended Practices are adopted and incorporated as Annexes to the Convention on
International Civil Aviation. The Council is assisted by the Air Navigation Commission
(technical matters), the Air Transport Committee (economic matters), the Committee on Joint
Support of Air Navigation Services and the Finance Committee.

The Council is a permanent body of the Organization responsible to the Assembly. It is

composed of 36 Member States elected by the Assembly for a three-year term. In the election,
adequate representation is given to States of chief importance in air transport, States not
otherwise included but which make the largest contribution to the provision of facilities for
international civil air navigation and States not otherwise included whose designation will ensure
that all major geographic areas of the world are represented on the Council.

The Council convenes the Assembly. The Council has numerous functions, notable among which
are to submit annual reports to the Assembly; carry out the directions of the Assembly; and
discharge the duties and obligations which are laid on it by the Convention on International Civil
Aviation (Chicago, 1944). It also administers the finances of ICAO; appoints and defines the
duties of the Air Transport Committee, as well as the Committee on Joint Support of Air
Navigation Services, the Finance Committee, the Committee on Unlawful Interference, the
Technical Co-operation Committee and the Human Resources Committee. It appoints the
Members of the Air Navigation Commission and it elects the members of the Edward Warner
Award Committee.

Another key function of the Council is to appoint the Secretary General. As one of the two
governing bodies of ICAO, the Council gives continuing direction to the work of ICAO. In this
regard, one of its major duties is to adopt international Standards and Recommended Practices
(SARPs) and to incorporate these as Annexes to the Chicago Convention. The Council may also
amend existing Annexes as necessary. On occasion, the Council may act as an arbiter between
Member States on matters concerning aviation and the implementation of the provisions of the
Convention; it may investigate any situation which presents avoidable obstacles to the
development of international air navigation and, in general, it may take necessary steps to
maintain the safety and regularity of international air transport.