Recommendation 1099
(1989)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 2 February l989 (23rd Sitting) (See Doc. 6008, report of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development, Rapporteur: Mr Björck). Text adopted by the Assembly on 2 February l989 (23rd Sitting).
- Thesaurus
The Assembly
1. Outraged by the barbaric act of aviation terrorism perpetrated against Pan Am flight 103 on 21 December 1988, causing the tragic death of 270 innocent persons;
2. Realising that this calamitous event is attributable to terrorist activities and that the fact that their consequences could not be prevented is evidence of the failures and vulnerabilities of the aviation security system, and convinced of the vital need to take urgent action to rectify existing shortcomings in this system, notably at airports, and to prevent future terrorist activity;
4. Welcoming the work undertaken within the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to revise Annex 17 on security to the Chicago Convention on International Aviation, and within the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) to update regularly its security manual, and inviting these organisations to intensify, for this purpose, their co-operation with the airline, pilot, airport and passenger organisations;
5. Deploring in this connection that national and international security regulations under these instruments are often not adhered to, and that, in particular, perimeter and access guarding of parked aircraft remains a weak point in airport defences,
6. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers take the initiative of urgently convening a European Conference of Ministers responsible for Combating Terrorism with a view to:
6.1 reviewing the progress made since the November 1986 conference;
6.2 adopting common attitudes and envisaging common measures and/or sanctions against countries whose authorities show themselves tolerant towards international acts of terrorism - including the sale and manufacture of explosives which are at present undetectable - or breach the international conventions on the unlawful interference with civil aviation (hijacking, sabotage, piracy, etc.);
6.3 considering the establishment of an international advisory group to review security measures and policies regularly, so as to remedy flaws and failures in existing prevention measures and practices, and to recommend measures to governments when an unlawful act against civil aviation occurs;
6.4 allocating sufficient financial resources for preventing aviation terrorism and considering, in this light, proposals for the creation of an international aviation security fund;
7. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers invite the governments of member states:
7.1 to speed up ongoing work in ICAO to revise Annex 17 on security to the Chicago Convention and, in ECAC, to update its security measures against unlawful acts of interference with civil aviation, and also to initiate or support any other activities designed to increase aviation security;
7.2 in so doing, to explore the possibility of introducing advanced technology controls which will increase security levels without impeding passenger flow;
7.3 to strengthen security measures at airports in conformity with the relevant ICAO and ECAC instruments;
8. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers urge those member states which have not already done so to ratify the European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism, and to sign and ratify the various ICAO conventions and instruments concerning unlawful acts against civil aviation.
