The XIX Symposium and Exhibition dedicated to the ICAO Traveller Identification Programme (ICAO TRIP) was held at ICAO's headquarters in Montreal, Canada. The event brought together over 600 participants from Australia, the Netherlands, USA, Finland, Great Britain, Indonesia, France and other ICAO member States.

The year 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of ICAO's Annex 9, "Facilitation," which focuses on streamlining facilitation procedures in international air transport, as well as advancing the TRIP strategy.

The TRIP Symposium addressed the five key elements of the TRIP strategy: evidence of identity, machine-readable travel documents (MRTDs), document issuance and control, inspection systems and tools, and interoperable applications. This world-class event provided a platform for sharing best practices in passenger identification and facilitation across the global air transport sector.

This year's theme was "Harmonizing Processes for Free-Flowing Travel". Seven-panel sessions explored topics such as the digitalization of travel documents, identity management, new technologies in the issuance and verification of electronic passports, biometrics, the issuance of travel documents and migrant identity management, and innovations in border control processes.

World-class experts from countries including Canada, the United States, China, the Netherlands, and Finland, alongside representatives from international organizations such as UNHCR, IOM, UNICEF, INTERPOL, ICAO, and ISO, as well as members of ICAO's working groups—including the Technical Advisory Group (TAG/TRIP), the Implementation and Capacity Building Working Group (ICBWG), and the New Technologies Working Group (NTWG)—presented cutting-edge technologies aligned with the TRIP strategy. They also highlighted regulatory frameworks that will facilitate the introduction of these innovations, enhancing government oversight and optimizing seamless travel processes.

The Kazakh delegation was led by Timur Tlegenov, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to ICAO, and included representatives from the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan, the Border Service of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan, the International Organization for Migration, and Almaty International Airport. The event concluded with a closing speech by ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar.

The next global forum on facilitation will take place in April 2025 in Doha. It is worth noting that in 2025, ICAO will conduct an aviation security audit in Kazakhstan, which will include an assessment of the implementation and application of the TRIP strategy elements in the context of facilitation of international air transport.