On 4 April 2014, the International Civil Aviation Organization Diplomatic Conference on Air Law, held in Montreal, Canada, adopted a Protocol to Amend the 1963 Tokyo Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft.
Thus, this new Protocol became the most recent international legal instrument against terrorism, increasing the total number of counter-terrorism instruments to 19.
A copy of the Protocol (in all six United Nations official languages) and the consolidated text of the 1963 Convention and 2014 Protocol are attached and will be soon also available on the Electronic Legal Resources on International Terrorism database maintained by the UNODC Terrorism Prevention Branch ( https://www.unodc.org/tldb/universal_instruments_NEW.html).
The Protocol incorporates two mandatory jurisdictional grounds (i.e. the State of the Aircraft Operator and the State of Landing jurisdictions), recognizes the role of in-flight security officers and encourage States to take measures to initiate appropriate criminal, administrative or any other form of legal proceedings against any person who commits on board an aircraft any offence or punishable act covered by the Convention, in particular the physical assault or threat against a crew member; or the refusal to follow a lawful instruction given by or on behalf of the aircraft commander for the purpose of protecting the safety of the aircraft or of persons or property therein.
The Protocol contains also numerous human rights aspects recalling that States must observe and comply with their obligations and responsibilities under international law while countering terrorism.
This instrument is open to all States for signature at the Headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization.