A top delegation from the Kingdom of Bahrain led by His Excellency Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, Minister of Transportation, is participating in the Conference on Aviation Security, which is being held at the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada, from 12 to 14 September 2012. The delegation, headed by the Minister, includes: Mr. Ahmed Nemat Ali, Assistant Undersecretary for Aviation Services and Mr. Hussein Ahmed Al Shuail, Director of Strategic Planning and Quality and Safety Control from Civil Aviation Affairs, part of the Ministry of Transportation.

His Excellency the Minister said that the Kingdom's participation in the high-profile international conference reflects the commitment of Bahrain’s government in civil aviation security. "The conference provides an opportunity to meet with senior aviation officials in ICAO member states to discuss existing and future challenges to aviation security, reach a global consensus, and formulate recommendations on key aviation security priorities to address current and emerging threats to civil aviation," he said. "In addition, the conference will also discuss progress on the implementation of the key outcomes of the series of regional conferences that were held in 2011 and 2012 in five countries representing the different regions of the world, including Bahrain as representative of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region."

His Excellency said Bahrain was chosen as the venue for the regional conference on aviation security from 10-11 April 2012 because of its leadership role and international position in the aviation security sector. He said the regional conference, which was attended by civil aviation representatives from the concerned MENA countries and the ICAO Secretary General, was a great success for the Kingdom, with ICAO and chief delegates praising its results and unanimously agreeing that Bahrain will be the headquarters of ICAO's Cooperative Aviation Security Programme (CASP) for the MENA region.

Bahrain held a follow-up meeting to discuss the programme and create a collaborative system on 27th - 28th June 2012. Under this system, the MENA countries will establish a permanent regional structure for long-term aviation security, activate the mechanisms of cooperation and coordination, and enhance aviation security through training, technological advancement and technical advice. A subsequent meeting was held in Bahrain to prepare for the establishment of the CASP MENA Bureau on 29 August 2012. The Minister pointed out that an agreement on the establishment of CASP for the MENA region is due to be signed on the sidelines of the conference on Aviation Security. Concluding his statement, the Minister said the selection of Bahrain as the base for CASP will reflect positively on Bahrain's regional and international reputation and status, especially in terms of issues related to civil aviation and aviation security.