The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the United Nations Office against Terrorism (UNOCT) signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation with the United Nations Program to Combat Terrorism (CT Travel Program). The note was signed by UNOCT Undersecretary-General Vladimir Voronkov and by Iata’s general director and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, during a virtual ceremony.
The CT Travel Program, a global flagship initiative by UNOCT, assists Member States to develop their capacities to detect and combat terrorists and serious criminals using advance passenger information (API), passenger name registration (PNR), and other passenger data, following Security Council resolutions 2178 (2014), 2396 (2017) and 2482 (2019) and the relevant privacy laws. Iata will join the program as the initiative’s first non-governmental partner.
“This memorandum of understanding is a milestone not only for the Program to Combat Terrorism but for UNOCT as a whole, as it is the first agreement we closed with representatives of the private sector. It symbolizes the importance of partnership with the airline industry in establishing passenger data systems and provides a framework for cooperation,” said Voronkov.
In an all-of-UN partnership with the United Nations Executive Counter-Terrorism Directorate, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations Office for Information and Communication Technology, and Interpol, the program comprehensively assists Member States in the legislative, operational, transport and technical industry involvement areas. This includes donating and deploying the United Nations Travel software system. The program was designed following the principles of human rights and United Nations policies.
“Security is a common goal for airlines and governments. The fundamental responsibility for Security lies with governments. Airlines help by providing traveler API and PNR data to governments. This contributes to collecting government information following global standards on the transmission of passenger data and concerning privacy laws. Our collaboration with UNOCT will improve efficiency and increase compliance for this flow of vital information. The aim is to contain terrorist mobility. This will make the world a safer place, and everyone will continue to fly safely,” said Juniac.
