ICAO to Stay in Montreal Until 2036

On Monday, May 27, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Raymond Benjamin, secretary-general of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), signed an agreement to maintain the United Nations agency’s headquarters in Montreal until 2036, according to Canadian news media.

The Canadian federal government has reportedly agreed to modernize the ICAO conference facilities and add additional security equipment as well as improve visa services and outreach to ICAO representatives. In addition, the Quebec government has pledged to assume until 2026 administrative costs for ICAO’s building, according to news reports.

The United Nations’ aviation agency, ICAO, employs 534 staff and works to achieve its vision of safe, secure, and sustainable development of civil aviation. ICAO has been located in Montreal since the agency was established by the Chicago Convention in 1944. Each member state, including the United States, maintains offices for its representatives in Montreal. Several international aviation bodies that work with ICAO, including the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations, are also based in the city.

A recent proposal by Qatar to make the Middle Eastern country’s capital, Doha, the new permanent home of ICAO beginning in 2016 had been met with strong opposition from both the United States and Canadian governments.