PH Embassy in Ottawa Participates in 18th ICAO Traveler Identification Programme Symposium
4th from left: PH Permanent Representative to ICAO, H.E. Ambassador Maria Andrelita S. Austria, with representatives from the DFA Office of Consular Affairs, Presidential Communications Office and APO Production Unit, Inc.
OTTAWA 19 September 2023 – The Philippines participated in the 18th Symposium of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Traveler Identification Programme (TRIP) and Joint International Criminal Police Organization Biometrics Forum held in Montreal, Quebec on 12-14 September 2023.
The 18th edition of TRIP Symposium focused on “Enhancing Traveler Mobility through Technology and Innovation” and featured presentations from traveler identification and mobility experts, and the sharing of experiences from countries that have benefited from adopting biometric technology, ePassport and digital travel credentials.
The discussions focused on the five key components of secure and efficient international travel as identified by the TRIP Strategy, which are 1) Evidence of identity; 2) Machine readable travel documents; 3) Document issuance and control; 4) Inspection systems and tools and 5) Interoperable applications. The five components generally fall into two main categories, travel document issuance and travel document inspection.
In his opening remarks, ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar said, “I… call on all of us to collectively re-emphasize the application of technology and innovation towards improving the integrity of the travel document issuance process.”
The Philippines regularly participates in the annual TRIP Symposium as a member state of the ICAO and as part of its effort to keep traveler experience in the country up to international standards. The Philippine delegation this year was led by the Permanent Representative of the Philippines to ICAO, H.E. Ambassador Maria Andrelita S. Austria, who presented her credentials to ICAO Secretary General Salazar on 26 June 2023. She was joined by representatives from the DFA Office of Consular Affairs, Presidential Communications Office, APO Production Unit, Inc. and the Bureau of Immigration.
The Philippines was among the 52 original States that signed the Convention on International Civil Aviation or Chicago Convention, which established the ICAO in 1947. END
For more information, visit https://www.ottawape.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philembassy.ca, https://www.facebook.com/PHinCanada/ or https://twitter.com/PHinCanada.