Mr Rosemond James, Director General and Mr Gregory McAlpin, Director of Flight Safety Division will be representing the OECS States and ECCAA at the forthcoming ICAO/EC Symposium on Regional Organisations from 10th to 11th April 2008.

The symposium, which is being held at the ICAO Headquarters in Montreal, will discuss the impact of regional organizations on international civil aviation. The symposium, which is an initiative of the European Commission (EC) and is being held in cooperation with ICAO, will comprise a half day intensive information session followed by a one and a half day of presentations and panel discussions by leaders on regional initiatives.

The objective of the EC/ICAO symposium is to examine the different facets of regional organizations in terms of their goals, geographical coverage and scope and degree of integration, with a view to identifying areas where the international community (notably the EC and ICAO, among others) could further support their effective development.

The ECCAA officials will be able to give the Symposium an insight into the OECS model of a regional safety oversight organization. The team is also expected to share their experiences in the establishment and effective operations of a regional body.

Details of the symposium can be obtained at http://www.icao.int/ec-icao/.