The Chicago Convention-1944

In November 1944, representatives from 54 countries attended the conference, since known as the Chicago Conference, at the end of which 32 countries signed a convention, the Chicago Convention, 1944, which established the Interna­tional Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) upon ratification of the convention by the required number of 26 countries. Ratification was accom­plished on April 4, 1947, and at the invitation of the Canadian government, headquarters were established in Montreal. Legally, ICAO became a specialized agency linked to the Economics and Social Council of the United Nations.

The stated purposes of the Convention, to be administered and facilitated by ICAO, included (1) providing for the adoption of Inter­national Standards and Recommended Practices

regulating international navigation, (2) providing recommendations for the installation of naviga­tional facilities by the Contracting States, and (3) suggesting ways for the reduction of customs and immigration formalities. These purposes were to establish the fundamental basis for the safety, efficiency, and regularity of international civil aviation in the years to come.