[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 17 Referred in House (RFH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 17


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 22, 2011

              Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing the sense of Congress that Taiwan should be accorded 
   observer status in the International Civil Aviation Organization 
                                (ICAO).

Whereas the Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed in Chicago, 
        Illinois, on December 7, 1944, and entered into force April 4, 1947, 
        approved the establishment of the International Civil Aviation 
        Organization (ICAO), stating ``The aims and objectives of the 
        Organization are to develop the principles and techniques of 
        international air navigation and to foster the planning and development 
        of international air transport so as to . . . meet the needs of the 
        peoples of the world for safe, regular, efficient and economical air 
        transport'';
Whereas, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the ICAO 
        convened a high-level Ministerial Conference on Aviation Security that 
        endorsed a global strategy for strengthening aviation security worldwide 
        and issued a public declaration that ``a uniform approach in a global 
        system is essential to ensure aviation security throughout the world and 
        that deficiencies in any part of the system constitute a threat to the 
        entire global system,'' and that there should be a commitment to 
        ``foster international cooperation in the field of aviation security and 
        harmonize the implementation of security measures'';
Whereas, the 37th ICAO Assembly in October 2010 adopted a Declaration on 
        Aviation Security largely in response to the attempted sabotage of 
        Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on December 25, 2009, which established 
        new criminal penalties for the use of civil aircraft as a weapon, the 
        use of dangerous materials to attack aircraft or other targets on the 
        ground, and the unlawful transport of biological, chemical, and nuclear 
        weapons and related materials, along with extradition arrangements that 
        facilitate cooperation among nations in apprehending and prosecuting 
        those who have undertaken these and other criminal acts;
Whereas, on October 8, 2010, the Department of State praised the 37th ICAO 
        Assembly on its adoption of the Declaration on Aviation Security, but 
        noted that ``because every airport offers a potential entry point into 
        this global system, every nation faces the threat from gaps in aviation 
        security throughout the world--and all nations must share the 
        responsibility for securing that system'';
Whereas the Taipei Flight Information Region, under the jurisdiction of Taiwan, 
        ROC, covers an airspace of 176,000 square nautical miles and provides 
        air traffic control services to over 1,350,000 flights annually, with 
        the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport recognized as the 8th and 18th 
        largest airport by international cargo volume and number of 
        international passengers, respectively;
Whereas exclusion from the ICAO since 1971 has impeded the efforts of the 
        Government of Taiwan to maintain civil aviation practices that comport 
        with evolving international standards, due to its inability to contact 
        the ICAO for up-to-date information on aviation standards and norms, 
        secure amendments to the organization's regulations in a timely manner, 
        obtain sufficient and timely information needed to prepare for the 
        implementation of new systems and procedures set forth by the ICAO, 
        receive technical assistance in implementing new regulations, and 
        participate in technical and academic seminars hosted by the ICAO;
Whereas the United States, in the 1994 Taiwan Policy Review, clearly declared 
        its support for the participation of Taiwan in appropriate international 
        organizations, in particular, on September 27, 1994, with the 
        announcement by the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and 
        Pacific Affairs that, pursuant to the Review and recognizing Taiwan's 
        important role in transnational issues, the United States ``will support 
        its membership in organizations where statehood is not a prerequisite, 
        and [the United States] will support opportunities for Taiwan's voice to 
        be heard in organizations where its membership is not possible''; and
Whereas ICAO rules and existing practices have allowed for the meaningful 
        participation of noncontracting countries as well as other bodies in its 
        meetings and activities through granting of observer status: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) meaningful participation by the Government of Taiwan as 
        an observer in the meetings and activities of the International 
        Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will contribute both to the 
        fulfillment of the ICAO's overarching mission and to the 
        success of a global strategy to address aviation security 
        threats based on effective international cooperation;
            (2) the United States Government should take a leading role 
        in garnering international support for the granting of observer 
        status to Taiwan in the ICAO for the purpose of such 
        participation; and
            (3) the Department of State should provide briefings to or 
        consult with Congress on any efforts conducted by the United 
        States Government in support of Taiwan's attainment of observer 
        status in the ICAO.

            Passed the Senate September 21, 2011.

            Attest:

                                                NANCY ERICKSON,

                                                             Secretary.