A task force aimed at reducing the risk to civilian airlines in conflict zones will be set up following a United Nations meeting Tuesday in Montreal.
The decision was the result of a special meeting at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), called after Malaysia Airlines flight was shot down by a surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine.
Top officials from four international organizations met in Montreal yesterday to lay the groundwork for the task force.
ICAO will convene a high-level safety meeting with its 191 members in February.
ICAO chief Raymond Benjamin says members states were also reminded of their duty to address any potential risks to civil aviation in their air space.
The CEO of the Montreal-based International Air Transport Association (IATA) added that military and intelligence agencies have a moral duty to ensure the safety of innocent people.
Tony Tyler said civil aircraft are instruments of peace and should never be the target of weapons of war.
