U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy to Deliver Speech Highlighting U.S. Priorities at ICAO

MONTREAL, Quebec – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy will address international aviation leaders at 2:15 pm at the 42nd International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Session in Montreal, Canada. A livestream of the speech can be found here. 

Remarks as prepared for delivery:

Good afternoon, [Mister/Madame] President and distinguished colleagues…  

I am honored to represent the United States and to join fellow Member States at this 42nd General Assembly. We come together with a clear purpose: to ensure that ICAO delivers on its fundamental principles of safety, security, and efficiency. 

I am here today on behalf of President Trump to deliver a hard truth. It is the view of the United States that over the years this body has extended itself far beyond its proper mandate– wasting critical resources on social programs or climate financing initiatives work that has nothing to do with the safety, security, and efficiency of the global air transportation system. 

The lack of focus and accountability has diluted the power of ICAO to anticipate the rapidly approaching revolution in aviation and put the work program of the Organization years behind where it needs to be.  

All the while, endless bureaucracy has stifled essential work and inhibited innovation. You all have seen it: proposals supported by the majority of States stall in layers of unnecessary process and backroom obstruction. Meanwhile, accountability, transparency, and responsiveness to the will of the Organization’s member states continue to suffer. 

While this was the wrong approach, the Secretary General and his team have made progress in reforming the Organization in the wake of his predecessor’s disastrous leadership.  

But there is more work to be done to streamline and optimize the Organization for the future.  

Our ability to achieve this reform will factor into how President Trump and the United States evaluate support for ICAO moving forward. Our ongoing financial commitments come with the basic expectation that this Organization can and will accomplish its core responsibilities. 

The Secretariat needs to be held more accountable – not simply for the benefit of the United States, but for the benefit of each and every Member State represented here today. 

I’ve seen indications that ICAO is committed to getting back to basics, but we cannot allow any more distractions and bureaucratic games to take away from accomplishing the mission of the Organization.  

In fact, now is the time to double down on what matters and dedicate ourselves to preparing for the future of aviation. 

This couldn’t come at a more important time.  

We all face an airspace that has grown increasingly complex with record numbers of travelers. Recent aviation disasters have served as a stark reminder of why we have dedicated over a century of work towards aligning safety standards.  

Meanwhile, drones, advanced air mobility vehicles, and other remarkable innovations have the potential to radically improve how people and products move. They also pose significant security challenges – especially in a global threat environment where bad actors are looking to leverage any opportunity. 

ICAO must play a vital role and guard against these actors who fail to meet their international obligations or otherwise compromise the safety and security of global aviation.  

Those parties should not be given a seat at the table, as doing so undermines not only the integrity of ICAO’s work, but jeopardizes the safety and security of each member states’ citizens and international air travel writ large. 

States that endanger the airspace, launch cyberattacks, or scramble aviation communications like the Global Navigation Satellite Systems have no place on the governing bodies or in the leadership roles of this Organization. Time again, they have proven disregard for ICAO and the values that it represents, and we reject their place in this body.  

It is in each Member States’ interest to prevent the misuse of these critical technologies that keep the flying public safe.  

It is also essential that all international aviation stakeholders, particularly Taiwan, are meaningfully included in ICAO’s technical activities. There is no room for politics on this question – this is about safety and security of the global system we all enjoy, and of which Taiwan plays an active part. 

In parallel, the United States underscores the importance of international cooperation to combat human trafficking, smuggling, and exploitation.  

As a vital artery of global travel, the aviation sector has a unique responsibility to shield the vulnerable – especially children – and guard against the terrible injustice of human trafficking. 

We stand in solidarity with all nations committed to ending human trafficking and call on this Assembly to adopt a resolution that empowers air operators to proactively address risks within their supply chains.  

By enhancing collaboration, we can better counter the scourge of human smuggling while still supporting legitimate global travel. 

Our shared commitments extend beyond just safety and security concerns.  

ICAO was formed with extensive American support around a shared understanding that all nations benefit when they can align their standards to facilitate the flow of goods and people around the world. That principle drives economic activity, connects our markets, and creates thousands of jobs. 

Around the world, it’s clear some are losing sight of that principle.  

The airspace is a resource we all agree should be utilized efficiently and fairly – not something to be monetized or leveraged as an economic cudgel. 

New taxes and illegitimate user charges are not only at odds with ICAO principles, but will open up a domino effect whereby Member States, their carriers, and their citizens will be forced to shoulder disproportionate, unjust, or duplicative economic costs.  

Why should international air transportation be singled out? Why should users of the global air transportation system be forced to provide a new source of revenue to any one country – all completely unrelated to the safety, security and efficiency of our skies? 

That is not fair to any of the Member States here today, and the United States is not afraid to call it out for what it is.  

We will continue to support and defend the long-standing policies that preserve a stable and efficient global framework, and I encourage all of you to join us in this effort.  

The strength of our global aviation system depends on every Member State upholding its obligations, and on ICAO staying true to its purpose. Without accountability, ICAO cannot remain credible and effective.  

This effectiveness is critical as the next quantum leap in aviation technology approaches. Drones and advanced air mobility vehicles have significant applications in commercial travel, rural connectivity, reducing road congestion in urban areas, and enhancing emergency services or medical transport.  

Whether this body is ready or not, these technologies are quickly becoming operational. ICAO must prepare the global community to support the transformation of our skies while upholding the highest standards of safety and security.       

Meeting this challenge requires targeted investments – in systems, facilities, and in people –ensuring that infrastructure and airspace management systems meet our needs and do not constrain growth. 

Under the leadership of President Trump, we are doing just that in the United States. Our air traffic control system relies on antiquated telecommunications, software, and radar technology – much of it from the 1960s – that continues to show its age. 

Our physical aviation infrastructure is dilapidated, and we have a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers.  

Instead of passing the buck, we are committed to building an all-new, state of the art air traffic control system and hiring the best and brightest in our towers.  

Prior leaders allowed this system to get worse – all the while siphoning money, time, and energy towards a radical social and green agenda. Sound familiar?  

We cannot allow the same mistakes to play out on the international stage. The United States urges ICAO and its Member states to work together on harmonized regulatory approaches to foster the aviation technologies of the future.  

We need an integrated global system to unlock the full potential of supersonic transport and advanced technologies such as Unmanned Aerial Systems, Advanced Air Mobility, and High Altitude Operations. Doing so will allow us to unleash the next wave of aviation innovation while enhancing the safety of our skies. 

The United States is committed to working with every partner who shares our vision for safe, secure, and efficient air travel.  

The world depends on aviation, and aviation depends on ICAO. Our global aviation ecosystem is only as strong as the weakest link. The time is now to focus on what matters and prepare for the future.   

Our work is certainly cut out for us. But under the Trump Administration, America stands ready to work with you at ICAO for a better, modern, and efficient air transportation system.  

Working together, we can accomplish these goals. Thank you.