Doha: The State of Qatar, represented by the Doha Joint Rescue Coordination Center under the Qatar Armed Forces, will host the 73rd session of the Council of the International Satellite System for Search and Rescue (Cospas-Sarsat) between October 20 - 23.
The session will bring together approximately 150 to 170 representatives from around 45 member states, along with global organizations involved in search and rescue operations. These include the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The agenda will cover key issues such as the development of the satellite system (LEO, GEO, MEO), upgrades to the ground infrastructure, user-related matters, and various other topics.
Colonel (Airforce) Rashid Sultan Rashid Al Hetmi, representative of the Doha Joint Rescue Coordination Center Command, stated: “The Cospas-Sarsat organization is an international satellite-based search and rescue system established in 1979. Its primary mission is to receive distress signals from ships, aircraft, and individuals via specialized devices such as EPIRBs, ELTs, and PLBs, and to provide national rescue coordination centers with accurate location data for incidents.”
Al Hetmi added that the system has so far helped save over 70,000 lives in more than 22,500 search and rescue operations worldwide. It is regarded as a fundamental component of the global maritime and aviation safety systems, operating under the auspices of both the IMO and ICAO.
