IMO is taking part in the 6th Pacific Regional Search and Rescue Workshop in Noumea, New Caledonia (13-17 April), to improve cooperation on the maritime and aeronautical search and rescue operations. The workshop,jointly organized by IMO and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and funded by IMO’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP), is being attended by more than 50 participants from Pacific island countries (including Cook Islands, Fiji, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Island, Tonga, and territories of France).
The workshop aims to improve maritime preparedness, focusing on more effective search and rescue legislation, mechanism, planning and operation, by providing a forum for sharing best practices and knowledge and exchanging lessons learned to enhance understanding of regional search and rescue issues and the magnitude of the search and rescue effort, from preparedness and patrolling to mass rescue operations.
Mr Osamu Marumoto, Technical Officer, Maritime Safety Division, is representing IMO at the workshop, which is also being attended by experts from Australia, France, New Zealand and the United States. (Photo: New Caledonia Navy Base)