IMPOSITION OF VACCINE PASSPORTS FOR AIR TRAVEL NOT IN AFRICA’S INTEREST, AFRICAN MINISTERS OF AVIATION TELL ICAO, SAY THE PROPOSAL IS AGAINST CHICAGO CONVENTION.

African Ministers of Aviation have described the much-touted proposal to impose vaccine passports for air travelers as unacceptable as it is tantamount to discrimination against certain groups of population, especially on the African Continent which still has considerable number of its citizens who are yet to receive the vaccines.

They also described the proposal as going against the intent of the Chicago Convention on the need to preserve friendship and understanding, reduce threat to general security and establish international air transport based on equal opportunity, operated soundly and economically.

The African Ministers Delegation’s position was made known on Wednesday in a presentation to the ongoing International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) High Level Conference on Covid-19 by Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika.

Rather than imposing vaccine passports, the African delegation recommended that States party to the Convention on international civil aviation should continue to minimize the risks during travel by ensuring compliance with existing multinational treaties, international frameworks, guidelines, and recommendations.

Sirika, on their behalf, also recommended that Human rights, regional/continental/global health security, economic growth, social cohesion, and good international relations, and use of innovation and technology worldwide to harmonize requirements should be promoted, while transmission of critical information across borders related to public health issues such as COVID-19 and coordination among key players should also be considered.

He also stated that African nations frowned at States imposing unilateral measures of global nature related to public health and asked such states to refrain from such practices and instead take measures that would facilitate the reopening and reconnection of the world.

“There is a clear onus on both public and private stakeholders, to take full measure of the dire circumstances now facing the air transport sector
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVAdLgnN3dK/?utm_medium=share_sheet