The President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez, has arrived in Australia.

I welcome Mr Kobeh to Australia and look forward to sitting down with him this afternoon to highlight our nation’s involvement in ICAO, and our continued commitment to strengthening global aviation safety and security standards.

Mr Kobeh’s visit also provides an opportunity to discuss Australia’s role in regional assistance and cooperation in aviation matters.

I also welcome representatives from Australia’s regional aviation partners such as Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Aviation Safety Office who will be present during the President’s visit.

ICAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations created to encourage the safe and orderly development of global civil aviation. Australia is a founding and active member of ICAO.

Currently, Australia is one of fifteen countries participating on the ICAO Group on International Aviation and Climate Change (GIACC).

The Group was established by the President to support the ICAO Council with decisions on climate change policy for international civil aviation.

Mr Kobeh’s visit coincides with an exciting time in Australian aviation, with the upcoming release of a Green Paper outlining possible policy directions, settings and reforms for the Australian aviation industry.

The Green Paper represents the second in a three-stage process towards the development of Australia's first ever comprehensive national aviation policy statement, or White Paper, which will be released in 2009.