Congratulations to the Oman Team (OMA-01) for successfully passing the INSARAG External Classification (IEC) from Medium to Heavy, between 06-10 December 2025. This recognition affirms the exceptional skill and commitment to International Search and Rescue of the team. The INSARAG Secretariat extends its most sincere congratulations.

Exercise Site Directory The INSARAG Exercise Site Directory offers an overview of Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) training worksites worldwide that are willing to host INSARAG teams for training activities. These sites provide valuable environments to conduct realistic exercises, strengthen operational readiness, and promote collective learning within the network. Each entry in the directory is voluntary and includes information on the site’s location (with links to Google maps) and contact details, enabling teams to identify locations that best meet their training needs. Please note that all arrangements to use these training sites must be made bilaterally between the requesting team and the site owner/host, using the contact information provided. Register a New Training Site We encourage Member States, organizations, and partners to contribute to this global resource. If you manage or represent a USAR training facility that could support INSARAG preparedness activities, you are invited to register your site in the directory. To submit a new site, please complete the registration form here.

 

The INSARAG Secretariat is pleased to announce that the 2026 INSARAG Steering Group (ISG) Meeting will be held on Tuesday, 10 March 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland. The ISG will be held in hybrid format. Please save-the-date!

The ISG will take place during the 2026 Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks (HNPW) which will run from 2–12 March 2026. The in-person days of the HNPW are scheduled for 3 days from 10 to 12 March at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG) in Geneva. More information on the HNPW 2026 is available on the HNPW Website here. We invite you to consult the HNPW programme and take the opportunity to network and attend other events. Please note that the UNDAC Advisory Board will be held on the 12th March.

Kindly note that travel arrangements, hotel bookings, and other travel-related expenses are the responsibility of your respective organizations. Additional information on the INSARAG Steering Group Meeting will be provided ahead of time. If you need an invitation letter for visa purposes, please contact the Secretariat at least one month before the event.

Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the INSARAG Secretariat.

Qatar is hosting the INSARAG Global Simulation Exercise from the 25 to 29 October 2026. The international simulation exercise will be under the INSARAG framework (Enhanced Earthquake Response Exercise). This would be the first of its kind, bringing together regional and international USAR teams, humanitarian actors, and government agencies under a realistic deployment and humanitarian coordination scenario. The exercise would test the application of the INSARAG Guidelines, interoperability amongst stakeholders, multi-agency coordination, and it could also serve as a platform for technical training and innovation. The exercise would also include operational elements with USAR Teams working on worksites.

On 2 June 2026 an Exercise Hosting Coordination Framework between Lekhwiya and INSARAG was signed in preparation for the INSARAG Global Exercise. The arrangement was signed by Ambassador Dominik Stillhart, INSARAG Global Chair, and Staff Brigadier Mubarak Sherida Al Kaabi, Assistant Commander for Administration and Supply.

The 2019 INSARAG Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting was held on 15 and 16 August 2019 in Cairns, Australia, with 84 senior heads and officials from diplomatic authorities and national disaster management agencies from 16 countries and organizations, plus UN INSARAG representatives

 

Annex A_Meeting_Formal_Agenda

Annex B_Participants List

Annex C_Outcomes of the INSARAG Global Meeting 2020 discussions

Annex D_INSARAG AP Workplan 2020 Discussions- AP Meeting – Cairns 2019

Final_2019 INSARAG AP Meeting Summary Australia 15-16 August 2019

INSARAG congratulates China, the 10 countries in the world on the successful completion and endorsement of its INSARAG Recognized National Accreditation Process (IRNAP).

This achievement highlights China’s strong commitment to INSARAG’s global standards and continuous efforts to enhance international cooperation and preparedness in Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) operations.

The INSARAG Secretariat commends the dedication and professionalism demonstrated throughout the process and looks forward to continued collaboration within our global network.

Congratulations to the AFAD-1 Istanbul USAR Türkiye Team (TUR-01) for successfully passing the INSARAG External Reclassification (IER) in Ankara, Türkiye between 17-21 November! This recognition affirms the exceptional skill and commitment to International Search and Rescue of the team. The INSARAG Secretariat extends its most sincere congratulations.