ICAO should lead push for air cargo security

   The Global Air Cargo Advisory Council, an amalgamation of various air cargo organizations covering airlines, shippers and freight forwarders, has said the International Civil Aviaiton Organization should be the focal point for any global air cargo strategy.
   New standards and global regulations should be issued by the international organization to improve harmonization and efficiency, removing confusion from the process. GACAG officials agree with each step taken so far by ICAO and promoted the organization’s Regulated Agent and Known Consignor programs in a recent position paper. Governments all over the world should incorporate these two programs in their security schemes, officials said.
   Before any new rules are enacted, however, GACAG encourages ICAO to implement pilot programs, so that issues can be ironed out ahead of time. 
   “We strongly urge states to mutually recognize secure air cargo supply chain programs that comply with the ICAO standards and incorporate the principles supported in our position paper,” GACAG Chairman Michael Steen said in a statement. “GACAG welcomes mutual recognition as a way for regulators to facilitate the movement of cargo along the air cargo secure supply chain without requiring redundant security measures, specifically at transit/transfer points.”
   Mutual recognition of security schemes between governments has lately ramped up, with the U.S. agreeing to programs with Canada and Europe last year. These developments have eliminated costly security duplications and have improved the flow of goods between the parties. – Jon Ross