ICAO Matters
lomapaseo
In Feb. 2015 ICAO conducted its "Second High-Level Safety Conference" in Montreal. As is the case for all ICAO official events and proceedings, Member States and accredited groups and organizations as well presented Working Papers on a range of topics (each of which in turn reflects preliminary steps in committees and other forums - it's a somewhat byzantine process).
I am noting this because the subject of Conflict Zones was a prominent one at the conference. Along with Global Flight Tracking. . . As you can imagine, two Member States in particular presented especially poignant and impassioned positions. Of course, Malaysia and the Netherlands.
The limitations on ICAO action and the effectiveness of such actions as it does take (and sometimes, even whether there is any point at all in its actions) are one level of critique. There is another, however. ICAO, though this is an obvious oversimplification, grew out of the ashes and real carnage of Second World War. It has been an enormous success in being foundational for civil aviation safety and navigation standardization, globally, insofar as international aviation is concerned. If committed aviation diplomats and their national political entity superiors cannot navigate an issue such as better reduction of incidences of conflict zone damage to civil aviation, then the problem either cannot be addressed other than unilaterally (including by airline companies and their industry groups, especially IATA and IFALA), or it cannot be addressed at all.
This is not meant as a criticism of any particular Permanent Rep of any Member State. And I don't represent or advise any Member State or group . . . . (yet).