 | |
| Abbreviation | AFCAC |
|---|---|
| Established | 17 January 1969; 56 years ago (1969-01-17) |
| Type | Specialised agency of theAfrican Union |
| Focus | civil aviation |
| Headquarters | Dakar,Senegal |
| Coordinates | 14°44′56″N17°29′21″W / 14.74889°N 17.48917°W /14.74889; -17.48917 |
Secretary General | Tefera Mekonnen[1] |
| Website | afcac |
TheAfrican Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC;French:Commission africaine de l'aviation civile, CAFAC) is an agency of theAfrican Union headquartered inDakar,Senegal.[2]
The purpose is to assist member states with a framework to discuss and plan the coordination, cooperation, development, and regulation ofcivil aviation in Africa.[3][4] AFCAC is the executing agency of theSingle African Air Transport Market, which implements theYamoussoukro Decision.[5][6][7] Their cooperation with theInternational Civil Aviation Organization includes promoting the application of theirStandards and Recommended Practices.[2]
The agency receives administrative and financial assistance fromICAO and has also gotten funding from theAfrican Development Bank.[2][6] As of 2015[update] many states did not pay their membership dues and 90% of AFCAC's income was spent on salaries and administrative costs.[8]
The AFCAC was founded on 17 January 1969 inAddis Ababa, Ethiopia during a Conference called by theInternational Civil Aviation Organization and theOrganisation of African Unity (now theAfrican Union).[3] It was initially approved provisionally until 12 January 1972 when 20 States had ratified the constitution.[9] Currently all but one African state have since ratified the constitution.[10]
In 1988 African Aviation Ministers met inYamoussoukro to outline the future of the African Aviation Industry. This would later be known as theYamoussoukro Declaration.[11] 10 years later ministers would meet again to elaborate and finalize theYamoussoukro Declaration, later known as theYamoussoukro Decision. By removing restrictions on traffic rights, capacity and frequency, theYamoussoukro Decision sought to liberalize African air transport markets.[11] TheYamoussoukro Decision was adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in July 2000, and has precedence over any and all agreements between states.[5][11][7]
In 2001 a revised constitution was adopted, and later in 2009 a new constitution was adopted by the AFCAC.[3] The new constitution would take effect April 2021 and states who had not ratified it would lose their membership to the AFCAC.[12]
The AFCAC's mission statement: "We facilitate cooperation and coordination among African States towards the development of integrated and sustainable Air transport systems; and foster the implementation ofInternational Civil Aviation Organization SARPs."[13]
The objectives of the AFCAC are:[13][14]
The AFCAC is structured with three organs, The Plenary, The Bureau, and The Secretariat. Each of these has unique powers and duties.[15]
The Plenary is the most powerful of the three and is composed of member states. It meets every three years to discuss issues areas such as elections, appointments, policy approvals, and enforcement of rules.[15] When The Plenary concludes it produces a report on their meeting, and specifically the progress of the implementation of theYamoussoukro Decision to an Executive Council.[11]
The Bureau is a body elected by and reporting to The Plenary, composed of the current president and five vice presidents, one from each region established by theAfrican Union.[15] As the administrative organ of the AFCAC, it is responsible for organizing the Plenary's sessions, implementing decisions and resolutions set-fourth by The Plenary, and supervising The Secretariat. The Bureau may also be given other directives by the Plenary.[16]
The Secretariat is composed of officials appointed by The Plenary and headed by the Secretary General. Included in the Secretariat are: Corporate Services, Safety and Technical Services,Air Transport, and the Office of The Secretariat General. One key role of The Secretariat is ensuring resolutions and decisions of The Plenary are implemented. Additional functions of The Secretariat include day to day operations including but not limited to: budgets, revenue collection, work programs, strategic objectives, projects, activities, and staffing.[15]
To become a member state of the African Civil Aviation Commission, states must either be a member of theAfrican Union or the Economic Community of African States (ECA).[17][18] Currently all but one member of the AU are members of the AFCAC, all of which are listed below.Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is currently the only recognized member of theAfrican Union not in the AFCAC.[10]
