The Havana Convention - The Convention on Maritime Neutrality

After the World War I, President Wilson lead to the establishment of the League of Nations but was unable to guide the United States into this general society of states. Because the International Commission for Air Navigation was originally linked with the League, it became a reason for the United States not to join the League. Thus, the need for a different form of international cooperation on an American basis became the result of this situation. The Havana Convention became one of these.

Representatives/ delegates at the 5th International Conference of American States in Chile adopted a resolution to create an Inter-American Commercial Aviation Commission to meet to consider aviation problems. The conclusion of this commission was to be drawn up in the form of a convention (agreement between countries) and considered by the members of the Pan-American Union.

In Washington the Commercial Aviation Commission came up with the project of Pan-American Convention of Aerial Navigation. It was finalized it in 1928 under the Sixth Pan-American Conference. This conference was the U.S.’s last chance to save their reputation in Central America. Coolidge went to Cuba in 1928 to attend the 6th Pan American Conference and to attempt to quell Central American resentment towards U.S. military presence and U.S. foreign policy. President Coolidge addressed the conference and the Unites States, along with some other American states, signed the convention. The reputation of the International Commission for Air Navigation weakened with the new convention signed.

The Havana Convention specifically applied to private aircraft and mutual air passage freedom. The Convention laid down rules and principles for air traffic and established that every state had authority over the airspace over its land and territorial waters. However, there were no attempts to develop uniform technical standards. There were no provisions for recurrent discussion on common problems through the agency of a permanent organization. The Havana Convention also had no uniform laws provided and aircraft regulations were to be done according to the laws of each country.

The Havana Convention was approved by the United States Senate by 1931 but was registered with the League of Nations by 1932. The Pan-American Agreement was successful and signed by twenty-one and ratified by sixteen states. The International Commission for Air Navigation met with the Pan-American Union and agreed that they should work together, and the International Commission for Air Navigation share all the information it receives with the Pan-American Union in return for documentation of the same order that the Union can gather. Unfortunately, the Havana Convention was not sufficient after World War II due to the huge development in aviation during the war. The Convention on International Civil Aviation was signed in 1944, replacing the Havana Convention.