UNIVERSAL SECURITY AUDIT PROGRAMME (USAP)

CONFIDENTIALITY

The assurance of confidentiality is important to the USAP audit process because of the special sensitivity of aviation security-related information. In practice, USAP’s adoption of this principle means that the audit report and all audit-related documentation are subject to rigorous physical controls by ICAO and are strictly protected from release to any entity other than the audited State. ICAO, however, keeps member States informed of the programme’s progress by periodically disseminating audit activity reports offering limited information, which includes: the names of the States audited; the identity of the airport visited; and completion date for each audit. In addition to these regular updates, data on the level of implementation of the critical elements of each State’s aviation security oversight system is being made available to all ICAO member States on a restricted website.This increased transparency will promote mutual confidence in the level of aviation security amongst States while also encouraging consultations aimed at assisting States in achieving compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). Importantly, the policy of “limited” transparency ensures that sensitive security information does not enter the public realm.