H. R. 1151 
One Hundred Thirteenth Congress 
of the 
United States of America 
AT THE FIRST SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday, 
the third day of January, two thousand and thirteen 
An Act 
To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to obtain observer status 
for Taiwan at the triennial International Civil Aviation Organization Assembly, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. CONCERNING THE PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN IN THE 
INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Safe, secure, and economical international air naviga-
tion and transport is important to every citizen of the world, 
and safe skies are ensured through uniform aviation standards, 
harmonization of security protocols, and expeditious dissemina-
tion of information regarding new regulations and other rel-
evant matters. 
(2) Direct and unobstructed participation in international 
civil aviation forums and programs is beneficial for all nations 
and their civil aviation authorities. Civil aviation is vital to 
all due to the international transit and commerce it makes 
possible, but must also be closely regulated due to the possible 
use of aircraft as weapons of mass destruction or to transport 
biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons or other dangerous 
materials. 
(3) The Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed 
in Chicago, Illinois, on December 7, 1944, and entered into 
force April 4, 1947, established 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.’’. 
(4) The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, dem-
onstrated that the global civil aviation network is subject to 
vulnerabilities that can be exploited in one country to harm 
another. The ability of civil aviation authorities to coordinate, 
preempt and act swiftly and in unison is an essential element 
of crisis prevention and response. 
(5) Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, 
the ICAO convened a high-level Ministerial Conference on Avia-
tion 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
H. R. 1151—2 
ensure aviation security throughout the world and that defi-
ciencies 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 secu-
rity and harmonize the implementation of security measures’’. 
(6) The Taipei Flight Information Region, under the juris-
diction of Taiwan, covers 180,000 square nautical miles of air-
space and provides air traffic control services to over 1.2 million 
flights annually, with the Taiwan Taoyuan International Air-
port recognized as the 10th and 19th largest airport by inter-
national cargo volume and number of international passengers, 
respectively in 2011. 
(7) 
Despite 
the 
established 
international 
consensus 
regarding a uniform approach to aviation security that fosters 
international cooperation, exclusion from the ICAO since 1971 
has impeded the efforts of the Government of Taiwan to main-
tain civil aviation practices that comport with evolving inter-
national 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 imple-
menting new regulations, and participate in technical and aca-
demic seminars hosted by the ICAO. 
(8) On October 8, 2010, the Department of State praised 
the 37th ICAO Assembly on its adoption of a 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’’. 
(9) On October 2, 2012, Taiwan became the 37th participant 
to join the United States Visa Waiver program, which is 
expected to stimulate tourism and commerce that will rely 
increasingly on international commercial aviation. 
(10) The Government of Taiwan’s exclusion from the ICAO 
constitutes a serious gap in global standards that should be 
addressed at the earliest opportunity in advance of the 38th 
ICAO Assembly in September 2013. 
(11) The Federal Aviation Administration and its counter-
part agencies in Taiwan have enjoyed close collaboration on 
a wide range of issues related to innovation and technology, 
civil engineering, safety and security, and navigation. 
(12) The ICAO has allowed a wide range of observers 
to participate in the activities of the organization. 
(13) The United States, in the 1994 Taiwan Policy Review, 
declared its intention to support Taiwan’s participation in 
appropriate international organizations and has consistently 
reiterated that support. 
(14) Senate Concurrent Resolution 17, agreed to on Sep-
tember 11, 2012, affirmed the sense of Congress that— 
(A) meaningful participation by the Government of 
Taiwan as an observer in the meetings and activities of 
the ICAO will contribute both to the fulfillment of the 
ICAO’s overarching mission and to the success of a global
H. R. 1151—3 
strategy to address aviation security threats based on effec-
tive international cooperation; and 
(B) the United States Government should take a 
leading role in garnering international support for the 
granting of observer status to Taiwan in the ICAO. 
(15) Following the enactment of Public Law 108–235, a 
law authorizing the Secretary of State to initiate and implement 
a plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at 
the annual summit of the World Health Assembly and subse-
quent advocacy by the United States, Taiwan was granted 
observer status to the World Health Assembly for four consecu-
tive years since 2009. Both prior to and in its capacity as 
an observer, Taiwan has contributed significantly to the inter-
national community’s collective efforts in pandemic control, 
monitoring, early warning, and other related matters. 
(16) ICAO rules and existing practices allow for the mean-
ingful participation of non-contracting countries as well as other 
bodies in its meetings and activities through granting of 
observer status. 
(b) TAIWAN’S PARTICIPATION AT ICAO.—The Secretary of State 
shall— 
(1) develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan 
at the triennial ICAO Assembly—next held in September 2013 
in Montreal, Canada—and other related meetings, activities, 
and mechanisms thereafter; and 
(2) instruct the United States Mission to the ICAO to 
officially request observer status for Taiwan at the triennial 
ICAO Assembly and other related meetings, activities, and 
mechanisms thereafter and to actively urge ICAO member 
states to support such observer status and participation for 
Taiwan. 
(c) REPORT CONCERNING OBSERVER STATUS
FOR TAIWAN
AT 
THE ICAO ASSEMBLY.—Not later than 30 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit 
to Congress a report, in unclassified form, describing the United 
States strategy to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan 
at the triennial ICAO Assembly and at subsequent ICAO Assemblies 
and at other related meetings, activities, and mechanisms there-
after. The report shall include the following: 
(1) A description of the efforts the Secretary of State has 
made to encourage ICAO member states to promote Taiwan’s 
bid to obtain observer status.
H. R. 1151—4 
(2) The steps the Secretary of State will take to endorse 
and obtain observer status for Taiwan in ICAO and at other 
related meetings, activities, and mechanisms thereafter. 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.