Members' Quotas. Article 61 of the convention stipulates that the Assembly shall apportion the regular expenses of the organization among the contracting states on the basis which it shall from time to time determine. The present scale of contributions is based upon relative capacity to pay, interest and importance in civil aviation, and war damage suffered by the contracting states. The organization has adopted a unit scale of assessments. The following table shows the assessed contributions of member governments for the calendar year 1949: Authorization. The President ratified the Convention on International Civil Aviation on August 6, 1946, upon the advice and consent of the Senate. The instrument of ratification was deposited August 9, 1946." On May 31, 1947, the President designated the International Civil Aviation Organization as a public international organization entitled to enjoy the benefits of the International Organizations Immunities Act." Payments. The United States contribution to ICAO is paid from funds appropriated to the Department of State for this purpose. Its contributions to PICAO and to ICAO have been as follows: 8 The United States assessment for the calendar year 1950 is $476,938 (Canadian) or 18.27 percent of total assessments. 7 See Basic Texts and Publications, p. 276. 8 In addition, an amount of $3,750,000 was appropriated for the fiscal year 1949 for United States participation in “joint support" projects, carried out under ICAO supervision and designed to provide air navigation facilities and services required by international civil aviation in the territories of states which cannot themselves furnish such facilities or services. Of the amount appropriated, $1,493,281 was obligated by June 30, 1949, for United States contributions toward "Joint support" projects. Agencies Chiefly Concerned. The agencies concerned are the Civil Aeronautics Board, the Civil Aeronautics Administration of the Department of Commerce, the Post Office Department, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Department of State. Coordination of U.S. participation in ICAO is developed and handled through the Air Coordinating Committee (Acc), which comprises the Assistant Secretaries of State, Air Force, Navy, and Commerce, the Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board, the Under Secretary of the Treasury, and the Second Assistant Postmaster General, with the Bureau of the Budget baving observer status. The Acc is responsible for the formulation of United States positions on all specific matters handled by the Council or by the Assembly in which one or more United States Department or agency has an interest. All action on ICAO matters in the Acc clears through its ICAO panel even though it may originate in one of the various specialized divisions and technical subcommittees. Participation. The United States took the initiative in conducting exploratory conversations which led to the calling of the Chicago Air Conference at which the Convention on International Civil Aviation was concluded and is the depository Government for instruments of ratification of this treaty. The United States has been represented both on the Interim Council of PICAO and the Council of ICAO since the beginning and in addition has representatives in Montreal specifically charged with representing this Government on the Air Transport Committee and the Air Navigation Commission. The United States maintains a permanent representative at the seat of ICAO in Montreal. RELATIONS WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ICAO has entered into an agreement of relationship with the United Nations under which it assumed the status of a specialized agency of the United Nations. In addition, ICAO maintains close relationships with the International Meteorological Organization (q. v.), the International Telecommunication Union (q. v.), the International Hydrographic Bureau (q. v.), the Pan American Institute of Geography and History (q. v.), the International Labor Organization (q. v.), the International Air Transport Association, the International Chamber of Commerce, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, the International Standards Organization, and other organizations having a mutual interest in certain problems of aviation, BASIC TEXTS AND PUBLICATIONS International Organizations Immunities Act: 59 Stat. 669; 8 U.S.C. 203, 215; 22 U.S.C. 288 a, b, c, d, e, f, note; 26 U.S.C. 116, 1400, 1426, 1600, 1607 and notes, 1621, 3466, 3469, 3475, 3797; 42 U.S C. 401, 409, 1001, 1101, notes; made applicable to the International Civil Aviation Organization by Executive Order 9863, dated May 31, 1947. U.S. Department of State. International Civil Aviation Convention Between the United States of America and Other Governments. Formulated at Chicago December 7, 1944; signed on the part of the United States of America December 7, 1944. Effective April 4, 1947. Pub. 2816. Treaties and Other International Acts Series 1591. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1947. (61 Stat. 1180.) International Civil Aviation Conference, Final Act and Related Documents, Chicago, Illinois, November 1 to December 7, 1944. Pub. 2282. Conference Series 64. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1945. 284 pp. (n. b. Interim Agreement on International Civil Aviation, Convention on International Civil Aviation, International Air Services Transit Agreement, and International Air Transport Agreement.) Proceedings of the Civil Aviation Conference, Chicago, Illinois, November 1-December 7, 1944, vols. I and II. Pub. 2820, Washington, Government Printing Office, 1949. ICAO has a monthly publication known as the ICAO Monthly Bulletin and also issues many technical publications. ICAO publications may be obtained from the Secretary General, International Aviation Building, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. International Commission of the Cape Spartel Light Cape Spartel, Tangier, Morocco ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT The Commission was established in 1865 under a treaty entered into among 11 states, including the United States, the purpose being to assume the management, maintenance, and permanent neutrality of the Cape Spartel Light located on the African side of the approach to the Straits of Gibraltar, about 8 miles from Tangier and 30 miles from Gibraltar. Prior to the construction of this lighthouse there had been numerous shipwrecks along this dangerous and unlighted coast with serious loss of life and property. The actual construction of the lighthouse was completed in 1864 by the Sultan of Morocco. However, because of the important location of the light and its possible use during war for signaling purposes, the major European powers felt it necessary that arrangements be made to guarantee the neutrality of the light. Accordingly, in May 1865, a treaty was entered into between the Sultan of Morocco and 10 powers placing the light under the management of the 10 powers, providing for its neutrality, and assessing equal shares against the 10 powers. The treaty became effective February 14, 1867, upon the exchange of ratifications. 9 8 See Basic Texts and Publications, p. 279. MEMBERSHIP The original members of the Commission were the 10 powers which negotiated the treaty wtih the Sultan of Morocco, namely, Austria,10 Belgium, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden," Spain, and the United States. Membership was brought to 13 with the subsequent participation of Norway, as a separate kingdom, Germany, and Russia. The Soviet Union, Austria, and Germany are not now participants. Following World War I, Russia withdrew and Morocco assumed the financial obligations of Austria and Germany. PURPOSES, POWERS, AND FUNCTIONS The Commission's sole purpose and function is to assume the management, maintenance, and permanent neutrality of the Cape Spartel Light in order to insure the safety of shipping through the Straits of Gibraltar. STRUCTURE The contributing powers, the members, are represented on the Commission by their respective diplomatic representatives at Tangier, the Presidency of the Commission rotating annually among them. The President of the Commission alone is entrusted with the execution of the decisions of the Commission, and he may call a meeting whenever special conditions or routine business warrants it. The light is actually operated by a keeper under the direction of the Commission, which has sole authority for establishing the necessary regulations. FINANCES Budget. The annual budget for the upkeep of the lighthouse is approved by the Commission and financed by member contributions. Assessments against members for the upkeep of the lighthouse totaled 3,000,000 Moroccan francs for 1948, and 4,800,000 Moroccan francs for 1949. It is presently estimated that additional Moroccan francs will be requested from members in 1949 for reconditioning the radio signal machinery. Quotas. The treaty of 1865 provides that the expenses necessary for the upkeep and management of the lighthouse shall be met by equal contributions from the members of the Commission. However, since 10 Austria-Hungary at the time the treaty was negotiated. "Kingdom of Sweden and Norway at the time the treaty was negotiated. |