Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2012-04-04

Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the Proposed Aviation Security Audit in Sri Lanka conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

- Sri Lanka has become a Signatory State to the Convention on International Civil Aviation in 1948 and thereby it undertakes to implement in the country, the applicable international standards in respect of Civil Aviation Safety and Security. Through the implementation of such standards in the respective States, all 190 Signatory States to the Convention are expected to maintain uniformity in conducting global air transportation activities. Sri Lanka was audited by ICAO in November 2010 and it was found that the level of effective implementation of International Safety Standards in Sri Lanka has achieved a high percentage of 86.5% whereas the global average was 59.8%, thereby Sri Lanka was able to take the topmost position amongst the South Asian States and 4th position amongst 34 States in the Asia and Pacific Regions. The proposal made by Hon. Piyankara Jayaratne, Minister of Civil Aviation, to sign a MOU between the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka and the ICAO to conduct this Aviation Security Audit in Sri Lanka in May 2012, with the concurrence of the Hon. Attorney General and the Ministry of External Affairs, was approved by the Cabinet.