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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 17 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.Con.Res.17
                                    Agreed to September 11, 2012        

                      One Hundred Twelfth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America

                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
            the third day of January, two thousand and twelve

                          Concurrent Resolution

Whereas the Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed in 
  Chicago, Illinois, on December 7, 1944, and entered into force April 
  4, 1947, approved the establishment of the International Civil 
  Aviation Organization (ICAO), stating ``The aims and objectives of 
  the Organization are to develop the principles and techniques of 
  international air navigation and to foster the planning and 
  development of international air transport so as to . . . meet the 
  needs of the peoples of the world for safe, regular, efficient and 
  economical air transport'';

Whereas, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the 
  ICAO convened a high-level Ministerial Conference on Aviation 
  Security that endorsed a global strategy for strengthening aviation 
  security worldwide and issued a public declaration that ``a uniform 
  approach in a global system is essential to ensure aviation security 
  throughout the world and that deficiencies in any part of the system 
  constitute a threat to the entire global system,'' and that there 
  should be a commitment to ``foster international cooperation in the 
  field of aviation security and harmonize the implementation of 
  security measures'';

Whereas, the 37th ICAO Assembly in October 2010 adopted a Declaration 
  on Aviation Security largely in response to the attempted sabotage of 
  Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on December 25, 2009, which established 
  new criminal penalties for the use of civil aircraft as a weapon, the 
  use of dangerous materials to attack aircraft or other targets on the 
  ground, and the unlawful transport of biological, chemical, and 
  nuclear weapons and related materials, along with extradition 
  arrangements that facilitate cooperation among nations in 
  apprehending and prosecuting those who have undertaken these and 
  other criminal acts;

Whereas, on October 8, 2010, the Department of State praised the 37th 
  ICAO Assembly on its adoption of the Declaration on Aviation 
  Security, but noted that ``because every airport offers a potential 
  entry point into this global system, every nation faces the threat 
  from gaps in aviation security throughout the world--and all nations 
  must share the responsibility for securing that system'';

Whereas the Taipei Flight Information Region, under the jurisdiction of 
  Taiwan, ROC, covers an airspace of 176,000 square nautical miles and 
  provides air traffic control services to over 1,350,000 flights 
  annually, with the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport recognized as 
  the 8th and 18th largest airport by international cargo volume and 
  number of international passengers, respectively;

Whereas exclusion from the ICAO since 1971 has impeded the efforts of 
  the Government of Taiwan to maintain civil aviation practices that 
  comport with evolving international standards, due to its inability 
  to contact the ICAO for up-to-date information on aviation standards 
  and norms, secure amendments to the organization's regulations in a 
  timely manner, obtain sufficient and timely information needed to 
  prepare for the implementation of new systems and procedures set 
  forth by the ICAO, receive technical assistance in implementing new 
  regulations, and participate in technical and academic seminars 
  hosted by the ICAO;

Whereas the United States, in the 1994 Taiwan Policy Review, clearly 
  declared its support for the participation of Taiwan in appropriate 
  international organizations, in particular, on September 27, 1994, 
  with the announcement by the Assistant Secretary of State for East 
  Asian and Pacific Affairs that, pursuant to the Review and 
  recognizing Taiwan's important role in transnational issues, the 
  United States ``will support its membership in organizations where 
  statehood is not a prerequisite, and [the United States] will support 
  opportunities for Taiwan's voice to be heard in organizations where 
  its membership is not possible''; and

Whereas ICAO rules and existing practices have allowed for the 
  meaningful participation of noncontracting countries as well as other 
  bodies in its meetings and activities through granting of observer 
  status: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
        (1) meaningful participation by the Government of Taiwan as an 
    observer in the meetings and activities of the International Civil 
    Aviation Organization (ICAO) will contribute both to the 
    fulfillment of the ICAO's overarching mission and to the success of 
    a global strategy to address aviation security threats based on 
    effective international cooperation;
        (2) the United States Government should take a leading role in 
    garnering international support for the granting of observer status 
    to Taiwan in the ICAO for the purpose of such participation; and
        (3) the Department of State should provide briefings to or 
    consult with Congress on any efforts conducted by the United States 
    Government in support of Taiwan's attainment of observer status in 
    the ICAO.
Attest:

                                               Secretary of the Senate.
Attest:

                                 Clerk of the House of Representatives.
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