Sheds Light on the Protection of Maritime Rescue Services in Times of Armed Conflict

On 4 May 2017, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) made available online (new window) its updated Commentary on the Second Geneva Convention of 1949 (GC II). The Commentary provides a detailed explanation of each of the provisions of GC II, seeking to reflect contemporary practice and legal interpretations.

Directly relevant to coastal search and rescue (SAR) institutions and organizations, the updated Commentary sheds light on the protection maritime rescue services enjoy in times of armed conflict and the conditions they must satisfy to avail themselves of that protection (Art 27).

GC II is the second of four conventions which, together with their Additional Protocols of 1977, constitute the bedrock of international humanitarian law (IHL). IHL is a body of law that applies only in times of armed conflict, regulating the conduct of hostilities and providing for the protection of persons and objects who do not, or no longer, participate in hostilities.

"Every Hour, Every Day, 40 People Around the World Die by Drowning"

World Health Organisation Global Report on Drowning

The International Maritime Rescue Federation is calling for nominations for its H.E.R.O. Awards, to recognise the unsung maritime heroes who battle against this frightening statistic, as the H.E.R.O. award (Honouring Excellence in Rescue Operations) deadline approaches on 28 July 2017.

The H.E.R.O. Awards (www.imrfhero.org) were launched last year to recognise anyone involved in maritime search and rescue, who deserve recognition for exceptional service.

Last year's winners included Captain Herve Lepage, master of the CMA CGM Rossini 5,570 TEU container ship who responded to a distress signal from a catamaran capsized by a whale off the South African coast on 18 October 2015.

Captain Lepage was also a member of the French Sea Rescue Service in his home town of La Rochelle, and it was thanks to his skill and expertise and the dedication of his crew that they were able to rescue the two men from the capsized catamaran’s life raft.

KNRM hosted the first IMRF Fundraising and Communication Skill-Share on Thursday 29th and Friday 30th June 2017. The 2 day event provided the perfect platform for SAR organisations to learn from each other by sharing fundraising and communications successes, swapping ideas and having thoughtful discussions in the workshops and case studies presented.

The first morning covered ‘How to manage your reputation in a multimedia world’ by Tony Roddam, formerly of the RNLI, who now runs the consultancy ‘Flying Colours’. This session gave each delegate something to think about as Tony Roddam challenged us to take a fresh and honest look at our most valuable asset, our reputation, in the era of fake news and alternative facts.

First maritime mass rescue operations course, involving senior emergency planning officers from around the world, sells out

What’s the worst that can happen at sea? A passenger ferry capsizing? A cruise ship on fire? An airliner ditching? An oil rig explosion? Any incident that requires the rescue of large numbers of people at sea will be immensely challenging – and is likely to be beyond normal response capabilities. What can be done about that? How can we prepare for such events?

The International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) has held a maritime mass rescue operations subject-matter expert course – believed to be the first of its kind – at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 14-16 June 2017.

The event attracted 40 senior personnel with emergency planning responsibilities from a total of 18 countries: Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Iceland, Malaysia, the Maldives, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and the USA.