This book investigates the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and politicized debates held there. The author explores how participants have employed depoliticization as a defensive diplomatic technique in a multilateral forum. Analyzing cases such as the ICAO membership/ statehood of Spain, Taiwan, Cyprus, and South Africa; various instances of the Arab–Israeli conflict; shootdowns of the Korean aircraft by the USSR and Iranian aircraft by the United States; and the 21st century tensions between Russia and Western countries, the book focuses on how states under criticism defended themselves and used depoliticization rhetoric to weaken ICAO decisions. The book allows us to see how rivalries play out in a different environment to more investigated cases in the UN and INGOs such as the International Olympic Committee. This broad scope will appeal to scholars and students of international relations and political science, the Cold War, the Sino–Taiwanese conflict and the Arab–Israeli conflict. It will also appeal to practitioners working in civil aviation.
