Trade between Caribbean and Africa top on agenda – official

As Guyana prepares to host the 2018 International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Air Transport Conference later this year, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Government hosted on Monday a media launch wherein it was discussed that high on the agenda is the possibility of improving trade in the air transport sector between the Caribbean and African countries, through Guyana.
Representing the ICAO was Chief Economic Regulatory Framework official Peter

Alawani, who told the media launch that the decision to host the conference in Guyana was not only based on the organization’s plan to support Guyana, but to place Guyana on a world map, and to see how it can further support and develop the area of air transport in the Caribbean, especially in small-island developing states (SIDS).
“And this was the main purpose for which this event is being brought to this great country. ICAO, on its part, will support all the technical aspects of the event, and will ensure that the outcome is implemented not just in support of air transport in Guyana, but in the entire Caribbean,” Alawani stated.
But, importantly also for the ICAO, is to use this conference to assist in facilitating the existing framework between the African Union and the Caribbean Community (Caricom).
“This is the principal theme why this event is coming to Guyana,” the ICAO official further explained. He noted that it will help to not only enhance trade between the two regions, but could help to boost tourism and other areas of interest.
“Once a state is able to build human capacity, (it) can excel in other areas. In order to attract financing, you need the human resource that is capable enough to understand the complexity of private financing of such projects. ICAO is now backing more states to help them develop those capacities,” Alawani said as he referred to the need for more to be done to form partnerships to enhance infrastructure in aviation.
Director-General of the GCAA, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d) Egbert Field, was asked whether the conference would manage to get that type of engagement from participants. He responded in the affirmative, explaining that the Atkinson Field which was built in 1941 facilitated the transport of goods from the United States to the African region during the war. He recalled that Guyana’s bauxite was also sold through this hub, where the Americans landed frequently.
“If it had that connectivity during the war, why not during the peace time. We are now moving into the commercial era, where commercial operators can utilize that route for the connectivity. There is a large (African) diaspora in Guyana, the Caribbean and South America. Why can’t Guyana continue or recommence what was started during the war? It is the perfect hub. I think we can not only benefit tremendously from that, but the entire region will be able to benefit from that connectivity,” he opined.
Field told the audience that the agenda for the conference, which will be hosted from November 19-23, 2018 and organized jointly by the ICAO, CARICOM, African Union and United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), will be packed, and will look at critical issues affecting the industry.
Discussions will also surround creating deeper investment in aviation, harmonization and the economic benefit of aviation, and the liberalization of air cargo and other travels.
The conference will also deal with stimulating investment in financing the aviation infrastructure, creating a heliport in Guyana, promoting air links between African states and diaspora in the Caribbean.
Invitation for this conference will be opened to all 192 member states of ICAO. GCAA said it anticipates that approximately 120 states will be in attendance, which translates to more than 400 delegates.
And President of the ICAO Council, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, is expected to be in attendance.