The Convention on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Relating to International Civil Aviation (Beijing Convention 2010) was reviewed and ratified at the closing meeting of the 37th session of the standing committee of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing on October 30. The Beijing Convention 2010 has filled the gaps and reinforced weak links in the previous conventions on aviation security, improving the system of international aviation security conventions.

As the first convention on international civil aviation named after a Chinese city, the Beijing Convention 2010 was concluded at the Diplomatic Conference on Aviation Security in Beijing in 2010. The Beijing Convention 2010 amends the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation (Montreal Convention 1971), and incorporates relevant provisions of other countering terrorism conventions within the UN framework. It further criminalizes the offences constituting threats against international civil aviation, strengthening the security of civil aviation. The Convention entered into force on July 1, 2018, and has so far been ratified by 45 countries.

The ratification of the Beijing Convention 2010 demonstrates that China is committed to severely punishing international crimes against civil aviation and maintaining the security of air transport. It will also play an active role in guaranteeing the safe and sound development of China’s air transport industry and ensuring the safety of passengers’ lives and property.