The Council of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has appointed Mr. Raymond Benjamin of France as the new Secretary General of the Organisation for a three-year term. His tenure will begin August 2009 when he will succeed Mr. Taieb Cherif of Algeria who has held the position since 2003. Mr. Benjamin is currently Special Adviser to the Joint Aviation Authorities Training Organisation (JAA/TO) and to the European Aviation Security Training Institute (EASTI). His 33-year career in civil aviation began in 1976 with the French Civil Aviation Administration.  After a year with the Human Resources Division, he was given the responsibility for negotiating bilateral air transport agreements on behalf of the Administration. In 1982, Mr. Benjamin joined the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) as an Air Transport Officer. A year later, he was appointed Deputy Secretary, a position he held for six years. In 1989, he came to ICAO as Chief of the Aviation Security Branch, where he advised on security policy matters and was involved in the development of a worldwide airport assessment and technical assistance programme for States. He also participated in the establishment of a network of aviation security training schools and standardized training packages (STPs). He also served as Secretary of the ICAO Aviation Security Panel and the ICAO Group of Experts for the Detection of Plastic Explosives.

Mr. Cherif was the first African to occupy the position and had promoted air transport development in Africa in the areas such as safety and training. He has campaigned for increased government support for civil aviation in Africa, using such fora as the Aviation & Allied Business Leadership Conference to canvass cohesion and improved air transport system in Africa.

Mr. Benjamin is expected to push further the realization of security objectives in Africa, while working close with the industry on the continent to eliminate several inadequacies in the industry on the continent.

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