The Russian Federation has been booted from a 36-member council of the UN’s civil aviation agency known as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In an unprecedented move, Russian representatives threw proceedings into chaos after they demanded a recount of Saturday’s vote.
ICAO is comprised of 193 member states but the organization’s governing council is made up of just 36 premier states. Every three years all member states meet at ICAO’s headquarters in Montreal where the governing council is elected.
For the first time ever, Russia was not reelected to the governing council after it failed to secure enough votes. The ballot is just one of many ways that countries have demonstrated their disapproval at Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
The ten countries that made it to the premier group of the council are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Russia needed 86 votes to remain in the Part 1 group but only secured 80 votes.
The second group of countries selected in Saturday’s vote were: Argentina, Austria, Egypt, Iceland, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain and Venezuela.
The remaining countries to win a spot on the council will be chosen on Tuesday.
