Office of the Historian

89. Airgram A-6325 From the Department of State to All Diplomatic Missions1 2

Washington, June 23, 1972.

SUBJECT:

  • ICAO and UN Action Regarding Aircraft Hijacking and Violence Against Civil Aviation

Following is the full text of the resolution adopted by the ICAO Council on June 19 QUOTE

THE COUNCIL,

  • DEPLORING the continuing frequency of acts of unlawful interference which cause serious safety problems, endanger lives and undermine confidence in international air transport;
  • MINDFUL of the solemn declaration of the 17th Session of the Assembly condemning all acts of violence which may be directed against aircraft, crews and passengers engaged in, and against civil aviation personnel, civil airports and other facilities used by, international civil air transport;
  • RECALLING the resolutions of the ICAO Assembly, the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council relating to unlawful interference with international civil aviation;
  • CALLS UPON Contracting States to implement to the fullest extent possible the security measures contained in Resolution A17-10, which are amplified in the ICAO Security Manual, and to report, as soon as possible and not later than 31 October 1972, on measures they have taken to implement them, for review and analysis by the Council within 30 days [Page 2] of that date, and decides that all communications in this field with Contracting States should be treated as being of a strictly confidential character;
  • DIRECTS the Legal Committee to convene immediately a special Subcommittee to work on the preparation of an international convention to establish appropriate multilateral procedures within the ICAO framework for determining whether there is a need for joint action in cases envisaged in the first resolution adopted by the Council on 1 October 1970 and for deciding on the nature of joint action if it is to be taken;
  • URGES Contracting States to cooperate in the development of practical and effective security provisions which may form the basis for the adoption of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices at the earliest possible date, so that the uniform application of such Standards and Recommended Practices will enhance the safety of civil aviation;
  • URGES States to become parties as soon as possible to the Tokyo Convention on Offenses and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft; the Hague Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft; and the Montreal Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Civil Aviation;
  • URGES States, in the interim, prior to their becoming parties to the above mentioned Conventions, to observe to the maximum extent possible under their national laws the provisions of those Conventions. UNQUOTE

Following is the text of the statement incorporating the UN Security Council’s consensus on Hijacking: QUOTE

Decision of the Security Council on Hijacking. The President of the Security Council announces that the members of the Security Council adopted on June 20, 1972 by consensus the following decision:

  • “(1) Members of the Security Council are gravely concerned at the threat to the lives of passengers and crews arising from the hijacking of aircraft and other unlawful interference with international civil aviation. In these circumstances, they wish to reaffirm Security Council Resolution 286 (1970) of 9 September 1970 and to recall that General Assembly has expressed its deep concern about the situation.
  • “(2) Members of the Security Council condemn and consider it necessary to put an end to acts that are directed against the safety of civil aviation and that are being perpetrated in various parts of the world presenting serious obstacles to normal use of air transportation, an important means of international intercourse.
  • “(3) The Security Council calls upon States to take all appropriate measures within their jurisdiction to deter and prevent such acts and to take effective measures to deal with those who commit such acts.
  • “(4) The Security Council invites all States to expand and intensify cooperative international efforts and measures in this field, in conformity with charter obligations, with a view to ensuring maximum possible safety and reliability of international civil aviation. UNQUOTE.

Rogers
  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970-73, AV 12. Drafted by Gravatt on June 21, cleared by Joseph N. Greene, Jr. (IO/UNP), and approved by Silberstein.↩
  2. The Department of State provided the text of the resolution on aircraft hijacking and violence against civil aviation adopted by the ICAO Council and the text of a statement incorporating the UN Security Council’s consensus on hijacking.↩