ICAO: Proper certification of vaccines may be required in future

Speaking at the eighth virtual meeting of the Global Tourism Crisis Committee of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the ICAO Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu, acknowledged that the latest measures to face the most recent waves of COVID-19 transmission it weighs heavily on global travel and tourism.

He stressed that there were few signs of short-term relief for the travel and tourism markets, given that the world still faces limited supplies of vaccines and insufficient data on the transmission of the virus by people who have been vaccinated.

Dr. Liu underscored that ICAO is collaborating with States, partner agencies, and industry in the challenge of global vaccine distribution and developing further guidance applicable to current and future pandemics.

The official drew the attention of her colleagues to the recently published ICAO manual on Cross-Border Risk Management Tests and Measures and stressed that the multi-level health measures it describes are likely to continue to be applied by states in the medium and long term. . "Proper certification of vaccines may be required in the near future, but in the meantime, international acceptance of test results should be a key priority," he noted.

"Currently, there is no agreed means to do it from one country to another in an irrefutable and fraud-resistant way."

When and where they are required, ICAO also recommends that COVID-19 test results and vaccination certificates be provided in a timely and reliable manner, enabling travelers' rapid facilitation while ensuring fairness in travel access.

"Such solutions must also be respectful of privacy and personal data, adaptable to different infrastructures and conditions, and economically reasonable for all concerned," stressed Dr. Liu. "Several different approaches are currently being developed, and we must work to ensure their effective interoperability."