Flight PS752 Downing & Safer Skies Initiative
LOCATION: National
ISSUE/SOURCE: The Government of Canada’s response to the downing of Ukraine international airlines flight ps752
DATE: May 2022
SUGGESTED RESPONSES
- The Government of Canada continues to seek accountability, transparency and justice from Iran, in collaboration with the other affected States of the Coordination Group.
- As part of its broad strategy in response to the downing of Flight PS752, Canada continues its efforts to:
- prevent future downings of civilian aircraft over or near conflict zones through the Safer Skies Initiative; and,
- address gaps in the international accident investigation regime exposed by Iran’s safety investigation.
- Canada hosted the second Safer Skies Forum virtually on March 29-30, 2022. The Forum is an annual international event focused on conflict zone risk management. It brought together over 365 subject-matter experts representing all regions of the world.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
- The Government of Canada is proposing a broad strategy in response to the downing of PS752, which seeks to obtain transparency, accountability and justice from Iran, and to prevent future civilian aircraft downing over or near conflict zones. To further these priorities, Canada is pursuing work at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to advance: the Safer Skies Initiative and reforms to ICAO’s international accident investigation regime (i.e., Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention).
- The Safer Skies Initiative was established to mitigate risks to civil aviation operations in or near conflict zones. Progress has been achieved at the international level to advance the Initiative, including the creation of the Safer Skies Consultative Committee, the Safer Skies Commitment Statement, and Transport Canada’s hosting of the first and second global Safer Skies Forum. The second Safer Skies Forum provided an opportunity for the Safer Skies Consultative Committee to provide an update on its conflict zone risk mitigation work, including two working papers on information sharing approaches, a risk mitigation strategy inventory, as well as criteria for airspace closure.
- Canada believes Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention should be improved to enhance the transparency and credibility of aircraft accident and incident investigations, including to better address conflict-of-interest situations. In October 2021, Canada secured the support of 55 member states on a proposal to prioritize this work within ICAO. ICAO’s technical expert bodies, the main conduit for developing Annex 13 amendments, have created a working group to review conflict-of-interest issues and develop ways to address them. The first formal meeting of the working group is scheduled for the end of May 2022. Transport Canada has established a dedicated unit that is helping to prioritize this expert work and broaden its international support.
- Global Affairs Canada is creating a scholarship program in the memory of the victims of Flight PS752. This responds to the Prime Minister’s commitment made last year on the first anniversary of the downing of Flight PS752.