Zambia’s Permanent Representative at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council has been elected as Second Vice President of the body.
Vincent Banda was unanimously elected taking over from Samuel Lucas, the Permanent Representative of Australia on the Council who Scooped the position of First Vice President.
The position of First Vice President fell vacant after the resignation of Ambassador Ainchil Gustavo Eduardo Permanent Representative of Argentina on the Council following his transfer to Austria as Ambassador.
Mauricio Koppel the Permanent Representative of Colombia was elected Third Vice President, the position previously held by Mr. Banda.
The International Civil Aviation Organization is a United Nations (UN) specialized Agency established by States in 1944 to manage the administration and governance of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).
The main role of the ICAO Council is to adopt Standards and recommended Practices concerning air navigation, its infrastructure, flight inspection, prevention of unlawful interference and facilitation of border crossing procedures for International Civil Aviation.
Mr. Banda was appointed Permanent Representative to ICAO in 2016 by the Zambian government to head the SADC mission at ICAO.
During the same year, he joined the Council as Alternate Representative until October 2019 when he was elected as a Representative at the 40th session of the ICAO Assembly.
He became the first Zambian to be elected to the Council since the organisation’s establishment in 1944.
During the same year, Mr Banda was elected as the Chairman of the Committee of Cooperation with External Parties (CCEP) for ICAO.
He also served on various Council committees such as Finance (FIC), Technical Corporation (TCC) Edward Warner Award Committee and Advisory Group on Carbon offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation-CORSIA (AGC).
The recognition and trust in the leadership roles that Zambia is currently enjoying at International Civil Aviation Organization, not only puts Zambia in good standing in the aviation sector but will also attract and give confidence to the travelling public and investors as the preferred safe and secure destination.
Zambia’s High Commissioner to Canada Felix Mfula has since congratulated Mr. Banda for ably representing the country, the SADC region and Africa as a whole.
Mr. Mfula stated that Zambia has made significant strides in improving her standing internationally.
Zambia’s High Commissioner to Canada says the promotion and recognition is an endorsement on a positive trajectory in international diplomacy.
This is contained in a press release issued to ZANIS by the First Secretary (Political and Administration) Brian Malama at the Zambian High Commission in Ottawa, Canada.
Congratulations and job well done.
Congratulations for the great achievements Mr. Banda! The only agony is that his own country does not even own a national airline. He should be working for Zambian Airlines and proudly representing the Zambian flag internationally!
Let me congratulate Mr Banda man and well done sir. Soar high and excel.
Good journalists would bring out the CV of Mr Banda. This way it is inspiring to read and even inspire young people to aspire to high positions via school, otherwise we will be left to think it is because of some favour.
Well done Mr Vincent Banda. This is the fruit of hard work and the favour of God upon you. We Zambians are proud of you and we pray that you will be given much wisdom to do your work with excellence as befits one born of Royalty.
Great achievements under pf
Congratulations to the people involved in pushing such agenda
Nonobo, one like from me, the like is for congratulating the man. Let me disagree with you that in international organizations such as the UN and it’s affiliated agencies, it is impossible to move forward because of political connections.
So yeah, this appointment is well deserved, it has nothing to do with his possible connections to any political party.
This is excellent!!! Congratulations are in order Sir.
Congratulations to ICAO
Congratulations