Group of Experts on Aviation Safety, Security and Assistance (GEASA)

The Western Hemisphere Transportation Initiative (WHTI) is an element of the Summit of the Americas process. It is a forum for convergence and cooperation on transportation issues among the Ministries of Transport of the countries of the Americas. The Western Hemisphere Transportation Initiative - Group of Experts on Aviation Safety, Security and Assistance (WHTI-GEASA) is one of the working groups that emanated from this initiative and was the beginning of aviation safety and security as a WHTI priority action area.

Canada's proposal to amend the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly Resolution on the Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) A33-16, to legitimize the GEASA concept within the ICAO framework, was approved at the Assembly of September 25 to October 5, 2001. Resolution A33-16, paragraph 14 encourages States to:

"...foster the creation of international advisory groups of experts, or other initiatives where appropriate, on aviation safety and assistance to:

1. bring together the efforts, experience and the resources of interested countries, international and regional organizations, aviation manufacturers and operators, financial and other funding institutions and of ICAO;
2. study the aviation safety issues of a subgroup of member States; and
3. develop a civil aviation safety management frame-work and recommendations for improving safety and providing assistance;"

The GEASA is comprised of senior aviation safety and security officials brought together to study the safety and security needs of the region, prioritize safety and security initiatives and deal with funding and implementation issues.

One of the goals of the GEASA Working Group is to undertake Safety and Security Project Initiatives (technical, regulatory, and managerial) to assist countries in the Western Hemisphere.

The WHTI-GEASA under Canada's leadership was endorsed by the WHTI-Executive Committee at its meeting of September 24, 2001, in Montreal. The Executive Committee expanded the scope of the GEASA to include security as well as safety. Transport Canada's Director General Civil Aviation, Capt. Merlin Preuss and Colombia’s Civil Aviation Authority Director General, Dr. Fernando Sanclemente Alzate are currently the co-Chairs of the GEASA Working Group.

The prime attribute of a GEASA-type concept is its flexibility, as it is unbound by any constraints to limit the issues under consideration. It is also designed with a view to complementing the work of other organizations and their initiatives for improving safety and security on a regional basis.