Defence
Minister Shri George Fernandes will inaugurate a two-day International
Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) Conference at Chennai tomorrow.
Twenty-four countries are participating in the conference. This
conference is being held as a part of India’s recent accession
to International Maritime Organisation Search and Rescue convention
1979 and designation of maritime search and rescue authority status
on the Coast Guard . The main invitees are the neighbouring countries
sharing their Search and Rescue Regions (SRR) with India. The
International Organization associated with search and rescue services
and policy making, organizations and departments representing
National SAR board, shipping authorities, ports, shipping boards,
scientific institutions, shipping institutions and various ministries
are also participating in the conference.
The
twenty first century being dedicated as "century of oceans"
and the developments in the shipping and the related maritime,
calls for active participation from the governments and organizations
for mariner’s safety and security. In accordance to the SAR Convention
1979 and the Global Search and Rescue plan, provisioning of SAR
system for all mariners can be achieved effectively and economically
by recourse sharing through cooperative programmes. To this effect,
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has sponsored many regional
search and rescue cooperation programs all over the world. India’s
strategic location and having more than nine neighbouring SRRs,
it is prudent that India should take a lead role for regional
cooperation measures for SAR. Accordingly the conference theme
is "SAFER SEAS THROUGH COOPERATION".
Through
the conduct of International Conference on maritime search and
rescue, an awareness amongst the international and national communities
on the efforts and developments of SAR infrastructure and SAR
operations made by India will be show cased to build confidence
and to introduce to the seafarers, the importance, Indian Coast
Guard attaches to the safety of life and property at sea. The
conference is intended to give impetus to the much-desired cause
of regional and international cooperation
