ONE of the most important happenings in Guyana in 2018 will be the Air Transport Conference of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The ICAO has a membership of 192 states and it is expected that 120 will attend, and will be represented by more than 400 delegates. The conference will take place between 19 and 23 November and is jointly being organised by ICAO, CARICOM, the African Union and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

This conference could have many spin-off benefits for Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean. It opens the door to the exploration of many new areas of co-operation, especially with Africa. Indeed, high on the agenda of the conference is the possibility of improving trade in the air-transport sector between the Caribbean and African countries, through Guyana.

In Guyana, for far too long some have had a fixation that only from Western countries could we have aid, trade and technological transfers. It was only when the West itself began to acknowledge the importance of India and China in world economics, finance, trade and technology that Guyana has awakened to their importance. In similar vein, in our unconscious assumptions, we have tended to think of Africa as poverty-stricken and backward and having no mode of co-operation between the countries of Africa and ourselves in the Caribbean. These assumptions belie reality and there are many areas of trade, tourism and cultural life and experiences where Africa and ourselves could fruitfully co-operate. It is expected that this ICAO conference would act as a catalyst to bring about greater co-operation.

The conference could also be used to put new vitality and meaning into the present framework which exists between the African Union and the Caribbean Community. Africa, especially West Africa, has a surfeit of brilliant professionals who would prefer to come to Guyana and the Caribbean rather than to emigrate to the developed Western countries; and we could use the opportunity of the conference to attract such professionals.

The ICAO official who had come to Guyana for preliminary arrangements is the ICAO’s Chief Economic Regulatory Officer, Mr Peter Alawani, who is from Africa. Mr Alawani has an empathy with Guyana and the Caribbean and his initial visitation has been smooth and fruitful. With the friendly and constructive engagement which the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has with ICAO, it is expected that the President of the ICAO Council, Dr Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu will attend the Conference.

The Guyana point man for Civil Aviation Affairs and for the Conference is Lieut. Col (ret’d) Egbert Field, the director-general of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority. Col Field is a very experienced officer who served many years abroad, and under his direction, the conference promises to be an impressive success. Col Field endorsed Mr Alawani’s observation that far more could be done to form partnerships to enhance infrastructure in aviation. He pointed out that during World War II, Atkinson Airport was a hub to transport materiel to Africa and bauxite to North America and felt that these routes could be resuscitated. In this commercial age, with infrastructural improvements everywhere, the profitability and efficiency of such commercial contact could be enhanced. Actually, Col Field was reminding the business community that they need to explore the lucrative commercial opportunities which Africa offers.

Col Field mentioned a number of important items on the conference agenda affecting Guyana. He mentioned the possibilities of stimulating investment in aviation infrastructure and investments in aviation as a whole. He mentioned the issue of harmonization, which would bring great social and economic benefits to the Caribbean. Liberalisation of air cargo and passenger traffic would be seriously considered, as well as the creation of a heliport.

One of Col Field’s important observations was that in Guyana, the Caribbean and South America, there is a large African diaspora and closer contact through aviation would be a positive development for the Caribbean and Africa. This kind of “familial” contact could lead to cultural exchanges and our mutually supporting each other in world fora and opening doors to trade and technical advice. Africa’s great experience with nature tourism, for example, could be of help to Guyana. The ICAO conference is a historic occasion and Guyanese are looking forward to welcoming the delegates.