Zimbabwe to host regional aviation meeting

Zimbabwe will next week host a regional aviation seminar to discuss current and emerging trends in the aviation sector in the resort town of Victoria Falls. The meeting will focus on Machine Readable Travel

Documents, Biometrics and Border security.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe  will host the meeting in conjunction with the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

In a statement, the CAAZ said the meeting would run from November 27 to 29.
"This important event will address current and emerging ICAO, MRTD specifications, identity management best practices and related border security issues with particular reference to the African region," it said.

"The Seminar programme also focuses on the advantages and challenges of using biometric data in travel documents and points of importance with regard to implementing electronic passports."

Officials from national identity and travel document issuance authorities, immigration, customs and other border inspection and law enforcement agencies, Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs, as well as embassy Consular staff among other stakeholders are expected to attend the event.

The evolving aviation security debate has recently moved beyond passenger screening to take into account border security matters such as identity management, inter-agency co-operation, data sharing and combating identity fraud.

These new approaches were triggered in part by the failed Northwest Airlines bombing plot on December 25 2010, which highlighted the need to be able to identify and stop perpetrators before they engage in attacks against aviation.

ICAO serves as the global forum for its 191 Member States. Amongst its many other functions include supporting all aspects of civil aviation activity.

It also brings together States and key industry organisations to develop policies and standards, resolve strategic directions on critical issues, co-ordinate global initiatives, monitoring, analysis and reporting and pursue targeted assistance and capacity building objectives.