Recommendation 6/2 - Expedited approval process for amendments to the IAMSAR

That, the MSC be requested to delegate authority to approve amendments to the IAMSAR Manual to the COMSAR Sub-Committee or to a group of experts.

　

3.2　Possible alignment of the IMO Area SAR Plans, GMDSS Master Plan and ICAO Regional Air Navigation Plans

3.2.1　Regarding the harmonization of aeronautical and maritime search and rescue region (SRR) boundaries, the JWG was of the opinion that they should be aligned wherever possible. It was noted that there were areas where aeronautical and maritime SRRs overlapped which could lead to confusion with potentially serious consequences through co-ordination problems. However, harmonization of aeronautical and maritime SRRs was not always possible due to political situations. The goal should be to support harmonization in so far as practicable and, in the meanwhile, further co-operation between ARCCs and MRCCs could be a way to improve the situation. The JWG agreed to the following recommendation.

Recommendation 6/3 - Co-operation between MRCCs and ARCCs

That, while maritime and aeronautical SRRs are not always coinciding, aeronautical and maritime rescue co-ordination centres should co-operate and co-ordinate all operations.

　

3.3　In the 69^th session of the MSC, the proposal by the JWG for an amendment to Volume 3 of the IAMSAR Manual concerning use of the distress signal for cases of man overboard incidents, was challenged by the ICS and sent back to the JWG for further discussion. Whilst acknowledging that there was at present some disparity between the old Chapter IX and the new GMDSS Chapter NIX of the ITU Regulations, the JWG agreed that there was a clear case for the use of the distress signal due to; the reference to a "person in distress" in article N3112 of the Radio Regulations; the reference to "persons" in the SAR Convention; and the reference to "person" in Article 98 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It was also recognized that use of the distress signal might not be warranted in all cases and that the classification of an emergency phase in man overboard situations should be left to the discretion of the master/skipper of the vessel concerned and/or the co-ordinating MRCC. Consequently, the JWG agreed to the following recommendation.

Recommendation 6/4 - Man overboard distress message

That a proposal be re-submitted to the COMSAR Sub-Committee that a man overboard message warrants a distress call and not an urgency call.

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