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INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION DIRECTORATE
Press Release: …/2025 Date: 30 September 2025
Venue: Montreal, Canada
Africa Secures Resounding Mandate on ICAO Council, Winning Nearly One-Fourth of
Global Seats, Driven by Unified Technical Agenda
Montreal, 30 September 2025 — In a major election for the global aviation community, Africa
achieved a resounding success at the 42nd International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
Assembly, securing the election of all eight of its candidates to the 36-member ICAO Council.
African Union Headquarters P.O. Box 3243, Roosevelt Street W21K19, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: +251 (0) 11 551 77 00 Fax: +251 (0) 11 551 78 44
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This outstanding outcome grants the continent nearly one-fourth of the total seats,
demonstrating the international community’s continued confidence in Africa’s leadership and
united commitment to shaping the global aviation agenda.
The eight African States—Angola, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, South
Africa, and Uganda—were returned with decisive votes, reflecting global recognition of their
effective service and influence in international aviation. The ICAO Council, the governing
body of the specialized United Nations agency, guides the evolution of aviation safety,
security, environmental protection, and connectivity.
This collective achievement underscores the global recognition of Africa’s effective service
and leadership in international aviation, ensuring the continent’s priorities remain at the
forefront of global policy. With this enhanced representation, Africa is well positioned to
advance ICAO’s global priorities, including progress toward Net Zero by 2050, strengthening
safety and security for all, and ensuring that no one is left behind.
At the continental level, this mandate will further accelerate the Single African Air Transport
Market (SAATM), deepen integration, and drive inclusive growth in line with #Agenda2063.
A Testament to Trust and Unified Leadership
In a congratulatory message, H.E. Commissioner Lerato D. Mataboge, African Union
Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, stated that the result, which affirmed the role of
key African players, reflects global trust in Africa’s expertise. “This is a proud moment for
Africa. It reflects the trust of the global community in Africa’s expertise and contributions. Our
representatives will not only safeguard Africa’s aviation interests but will also continue
shaping the global aviation system in ways that promote fairness, inclusivity, and
sustainability.”
She stressed that the AU will continue working with Member States, AFCAC, and partners
to build a more connected and prosperous Africa in line with Agenda 2063: The Africa We
Want.
The President of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), Mr. Florent Serge Dzota,
welcomed the outcome as a milestone for Africa’s civil aviation community. “This renewed
mandate is a victory for Africa’s aviation sector. It reaffirms that Africa’s leadership and
contributions are valued by the global community. We look forward to supporting our Council
members in ensuring Africa’s priorities are addressed at ICAO.”
Africa’s Comprehensive Technical Agenda at the 42nd Assembly
Beyond securing the Council seats, Africa demonstrated a unified front by actively
championing its priorities through a robust technical agenda, submitting 16 Working and
Information Papers across key ICAO Commissions. This technical engagement was
coordinated daily by the African Union, AFCAC, and the AFI Group to ensure a consistent,
unified voice on all major issues.
African Union Headquarters P.O. Box 3243, Roosevelt Street W21K19, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: +251 (0) 11 551 77 00 Fax: +251 (0) 11 551 78 44
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Africa’s proposals focused on addressing the unique challenges and opportunities faced by
developing States, weaving together priorities across safety, security, and sustainability.
Africa placed strong emphasis on aviation safety and air navigation, submitting eight
technical papers that called for the development of new Standards and Recommended
Practices (SARPs) related to the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for cost-effective
ground checks of navigation aids (NAVAIDs). In addition, it underscored the importance of
introducing a standardized global tool for monitoring and controlling obstacles around
aerodromes, thereby ensuring safer operations.
Furthermore, the continent advanced its proposals under the theme of security and
facilitation by calling for the streamlining of aviation security systems within the framework of
the Global Aviation Security Plan (GASeP). Equally important, it urged the updating of
international regulations to safely enable the use of UAS in transporting Dangerous Goods
(DG)—including vaccines and critical medical supplies—particularly in health, emergency,
and humanitarian operations.
Africa’s voice was also resolute in the environmental domain, as it strongly championed
CORSIA (the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) as the sole
global Market-Based Measure (MBM) under ICAO. It cautioned against the introduction of
duplicative or unilateral regional MBMs, which could undermine the growth and
competitiveness of aviation in developing States, and instead pressed for global coherence
in addressing aviation emissions.
Driving Continental Integration: The SAATM Mandate
Africa’s aviation family has once again demonstrated the strength of unity. Africa’s priorities
will continue to be effectively represented at ICAO, advancing SAATM, strengthening safety
and security, and driving sustainable aviation globally.
With one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, Africa is now strategically positioned
to advance its flagship initiative, the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), which
currently represents over 90% of intra-African traffic.
The African Union extends its sincere thanks to the States that ably represented Africa during
the 2022–2025 triennium and acknowledges the crucial coordination role of AFCAC.
Media Inquiries:
Bezayit Eyoel| Information Analyst| Department of Infrastructure and Energy| African Union Commission| E-mail:
BezayitE@africanunion.org|
Mr. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer | Information and Communication Directorate (ICD),
African Union Commission | E-mail: GamalK@africa-union.org
Information and Communication Directorate, African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org I Web: au.int | Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia | Follow Us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
African Union Headquarters P.O. Box 3243, Roosevelt Street W21K19, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: +251 (0) 11 551 77 00 Fax: +251 (0) 11 551 78 44
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