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A new Call to Action supporting the International Civil Aviation Organization’s global aviation roadmap was adopted on April 14 with 22 signatory countries
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The Marrakech Call to Action supports ICAO’s Strategic Plan targeting zero fatalities and net-zero carbon emissions by mid-century
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Key commitments include stronger governance, adequate funding, workforce development, and collective accountability
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The agreement reinforces ICAO’s “No Country Left Behind” principle, stressing inclusivity for less-served regions
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Ministers flagged the urgent need for innovative financing models to close persistent aviation gaps
A new Call to Action supporting the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) global aviation roadmap was adopted on April 14 with 22 signatory countries.
Dubbed The Marrakech Call to Action, it aims to deliver safer, more sustainable air transport worldwide by 2050, ICAO announced in a news release.
The adoption was sealed at a high-level Ministerial Round Table during the opening of ICAO’s Global Implementation Support Symposium (GISS 2026).
It formally endorses ICAO’s 2026-2050 Strategic Plan, a framework that envisions safe, secure, and sustainable air transport for all by mid-century.
The signatories are: Angola, Azerbaijan, Cabo Verde, Canada, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Japan, Libya, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Singapore, South Sudan, Türkiye, and Yemen.
Under the agreement, participating countries pledged to strengthen governance and institutional capacity, unlock aviation growth through adequate funding and financing, develop the next generation of aviation professionals, and uphold collective accountability in carrying out the plan’s objectives.
Central to the agreement is a reaffirmation of ICAO’s “No Country Left Behind” strategic goal, a principle designed to ensure that developing and less-served nations are not excluded as the global aviation sector evolves.
Ministers at the round table underscored the pressing need for innovative partnerships and creative financing models to close persistent infrastructure and capacity gaps, particularly in underserved regions.
Those financing mechanisms are expected to underpin ICAO’s broader capacity development and implementation support work, targeting what officials described as the most critical priorities facing global air transport.
ICAO Council president Toshiyuki Onuma framed the moment as a historic turning point for the industry.
“Let this Symposium be remembered as the first step in implementing ICAO’s 2026-2050 Strategic Plan,” Onuma said in his opening remarks. “Delivering safe, secure, and sustainable air transport for all is our ambition, and our shared responsibility.”
The symposium will now shift focus to bilateral negotiations and technical exchanges aimed at advancing these commitments, with participation from 101 countries and numerous intergovernmental and aviation-related organizations.
Proceedings are scheduled to conclude on April 16, 2026.
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