Antalya (Turkey), 6 November 2009 - An essential component of the ICAO Strategic Objectives Key Activity A8 – Support the implementation of safety management systems across all safety-related disciplines in all States – is the development and delivery of Safety Management Systems (SMS) training courses in all ICAO Regions. The main purpose of these courses is to assist States in the implementation of safety management provisions of Annex 1 - Personnel Licensing, Annex 6 – Operation of Aircraft, Annex 8 – Airworthiness of Aircraft, Annex 11 – Air Traffic Services, Annex 13 – AircraftAccident and Incident Investigation and Annex 14 – Aerodromes.

The importance of training was recognised by Directors General of Civil Aviation Conference on a Global Strategy for Aviation Safety, held in Montreal from 20 to 22 March 2006. Recommendation 2/2, under Topic 2.2, Management of Aviation Safety, among others, requests States to engage in far-reaching cooperation with ICAO in the programme of training courses in order to help Contracting States expedite the implementation of SMS.

In the framework of the above, and upon the request of the European Commission Euro-Mediterranean (Euromed) Aviation Project, ICAO has indeed carried out such SMS training course for officials from the civil aviation authorities of Algeria, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia and Turkey.

The Course was conducted in Antalya, Turkey, from 2 to 6 November 2009. Nineteen participants in the Course demonstrated their high ability to apply their newly acquired knowledge in a practical setting. Topics covered included safety basics, fundamentals of safety management, hazard identification and risk management, ICAO SMS regulation, and the development, implementation and operation of an SMS. The course included daily progress tests and a final examination.

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