IMO Support Strengthens the Global Maritime SAR System Review

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has been consistently and visibly supportive of the IMRF Global Maritime SAR System Review. As the United Nations agency responsible for maritime safety, the IMO’s engagement is essential. Its backing ensures that the Review is not only informed by global standards and conventions but also aligned with the wider regulatory framework that shapes maritime search and rescue (SAR) worldwide.

Over the past year, the IMRF has actively engaged with IMO Member States, committees, and working groups to ensure the Review is understood, supported and informed by those who oversee international maritime safety. This collaboration has included multiple briefings, technical discussions, and formal interventions at IMO headquarters in London.

In June 2026, the IMRF participated in the IMO Technical Cooperation Committee, where the Global Maritime SAR System Review received particularly strong support. Eleven Member States spoke in favour of the work, and no objections were raised. In closing the agenda item, the Chair noted that the Committee supports the IMRF Review as an evidence‑based means of addressing identified gaps in global SAR capability. Member States were encouraged to engage directly with the IMRF, and the IMO Secretariat was invited to liaise with the IMRF on matters relating to global SAR capabilities and to explore opportunities to support the Review’s outputs under the Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme.

This momentum continued during the Maritime Safety Committee meeting, where the IMRF briefed Member States, IGOs and NGOs on the Review’s progress and emerging findings. It was a valuable opportunity to underline the IMO’s crucial role in setting the global standards and conventions that underpin maritime search and rescue, and to highlight the vital contribution of commercial shipping and seafarers in responding to people in distress at sea.

As the Review moves towards completion, the partnership between the IMRF and IMO becomes even more important. The findings will highlight some of the most pressing challenges facing global SAR, and the recommendations will point to areas where change is needed. Turning these insights into meaningful action will require continued collaboration between the IMRF, IMO, Member States and the wider maritime community.

With the IMO’s support, the Review is well positioned to drive improvements that strengthen global SAR capability, enhance safety at sea, and ensure that people in distress receive the help they need - wherever they are in the world.