First Meeting of the Assembly

The Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) convened for its first meeting at Montreal on May 6 and remained in session until May 27. For the most part its activities during this inaugural session were confined to the problems of organizing the permanent agency, which succeeded the Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization on April 4. At the Second Plenary Meeting on May 7, the Hon. A. S. Drakeford (Australia) was elected President of the Assembly and six commissions were constituted to deal with 1) constitutional and general policy questions such as structure, relations with non-contracting states, immunities and privileges and amendments to the Convention; 2) technical questions of international standards and recommended practices and international collaboration on research; 3) economic questions including the possibility of a multilateral agreement on commercial rights in international air transport, economic burdens on international air transport, statistics, international air mail and registration of air agreements; 4) legal questions such as the drafting of conventions on international air law, recognition of rights in aircraft and the legal status of commanders of aircraft; 5) administrative and financial questions as to the organization of the Secretariat, publications and general finance; and 6) financial and technical aid to member states through ICAO.