Implement Resolutions on Air Transport

THE Council of Ministers responsible for the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision on aviation in West and Central Africa has called for political support from governments of member countries to ensure the effective implementation of the resolutions.
The council, comprising ministers responsible for civil aviation in member countries, resolved that the healthy development of air transport within the countries was not contingent only on the liberalisation of economic regulations but also required greater co-operation and harmonisation in areas such as technical regulations, safety, security and airspace management.
At its fourth meeting, to deliberate on the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision, in Accra, the council, among other resolutions, called for a level playing field among foreign and local carriers in West and Central Africa to enhance the integration of the continent.
The Yamoussoukro Decision was adopted by the African ministers on November 14, 1999, with the view to opening up the African continent and fostering the development of intra-African links for the free movement of people, goods and services.
The signatory states, including Ghana, agreed to individually achieve the full liberalisation objective of the decision within two years by strengthening the safety and security regulations and financing air transport in West and Central Africa.
The President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, in an address read on his behalf, said Africa had a long way to go in terms of liberalising its airspace for the economic co-operation of the regional blocs.
He, therefore, called for an enabling environment for co-operation among all governments and regional agencies, noting that “we can do it, since we have the will to do it”.
The Secretary-General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (ACAC), Mr Boubacar Djibo, said member states had demonstrated their firm commitment to liberalise their air transport in Africa immediately after the adoption of the decision, noting that Africa could not be developed and integrated without a sustainable air transport system.
The Secretary-General of the African Airline Association (AFRAA), Mr Christian E. Folly-Kossi, said the airline business in Africa had been in crisis for decades as half of the continent was dominated by foreign carriers, noting that in times of crisis “we ought to search for and focus on hidden opportunities”.
The Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Banjul Accord Group, Mr Lamin Bojang, said the work of the group had turned the region into an inspiring reference for the world, since the consultative meeting which had accelerated the Yamoussoukro Declaration later became the decision in 1999 on the liberalisation of air transport in Africa.
Ghana’s Minister for Aviation, Mr Joe Baidoo-Ansah, agreed that the Yamoussoukro Decision needed to be expedited for the two sub-regions to catch up with the vast leaps and strides being made in the air transport industry across the globe.
“It is my appeal that countries within these sub-regions will not only adopt these resolutions but also endeavour to implement them for the advancement of the industry,” he emphasised, noting that the government and the people of Ghana recognised the importance of the industry as a major contributor to their economic development.