Following lessons identified from the urban search and rescue response to the Padang earthquake (2009) and the Haiti earthquake (2010), INSARAG has discussed to establish a technical working group looking into operational sides of coordinating urban search and rescue. In the INSARAG Steering Group Meeting, June 2010 , it was decided that an INSARAG working group should be established to further develop these aspects based on the recommendations from the INSARAG Haiti Earthquake After Action Review Meeting of June 2010 and INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting of March 2010. Therefore, the INSARAG Operations Working Group (OWG) was established in 2011 with the endorsement of INSARAG Steering Group.

This newly established working group is a project-based temporary inter-regional working group with specific targets and timelines as described at itsTerms of Reference . The inputs from the INSARAG regional groups are received through its participants in the working group. The groups is composed of a chair, two representatives from each INSARAG regional group and a representative of INSARAG. The group meets two to three times a year. The reports of this working group’s meetings can be found below.

Chair of OWG:

Mr. David Norlin

Email: David.Norlin@msb.se

• OWG 2013   ( 2 Материалы )
• OWG 2012   ( 3 Материалы )
• OWG 2011   ( 3 Материалы )

Task specific ad-hoc working groups of INSARAG may be established from time to time at the request of the INSARAG Steering Group, the Regional Groups or urban search and rescue team leaders with the endorsement of the INSARAG Steering Group. These groups are staffed with personnel who have the relevant experience and qualifications to address the issues under discussion and include a representative from the INSARAG Secretariat. The purpose of these working groups is to develop solutions to specific issues identified by the requesting party.  Depending on their annual work plan, the working groups may meet two to three times a year. These meetings are only open to the members of that working group. The deliverable’s of these working groups are shared with the entire INSARAG community. Once these deliverable’s are endorsed by the Steering Group, they may be added to the INSARAG Guidelines or the INSARAG Technical Guidance Notes. On completion of the task, the working groups disband. As of 2012, there are three INSARAG working groups; namely Training Working Group, Operations Working Group and Medical Working Group.

This is a network of experienced USAR practitioners who respond to collapsed structure incidents domestically and internationally and whose input, advice and experience serve to improve the operational capabilities of international USAR response. The INSARAG Secretariat convenes an annual USAR Team Leaders’ Meeting for all registered international USAR Team Leaders. These meetings provide a forum to discuss technical issues relating to training and best practice based on lessons learned from previous USAR operations and exercises.

Any INSARAG member countries interested in hosting the annual meeting of the international USAR Team Leaders is welcomed. The requests for this should be sent to the INSARAG Secretariat.

The reports of the INSARAG Team Leaders Meetings can be found here.

2015:

2015 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Chairman Summary (English)

Presentations, Report Nepal Earthquake Lessons Learned and Way Forward

2014:

2014 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Chairman Summary (English )

2013:

2013 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Chairman Summary (English)

2012:

2012 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Chairman Summary (English)

2011:

2011 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Chairman Summary (English) 

2010:

2010 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Chairman Summary (English, Spanish)

2010 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Chairman Summary Annex (English)

2009:

2009 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Agenda (English)

2009 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Chairman Summary (Arabic, English, French)

2008:

2008 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Agenda (English)

2008 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Chairman Summary (English, French)

2007:

2007 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Chairman Summary (Arabic, English, French)

2005:

2005 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Chairman Summary (Arabic, English, French)

2004:

2004 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Agenda (English)

2004 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Chairman Summary (Arabic, English, French)

2003:

2003 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Chairman Summary (English)

2002:

2002 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Chairman Summary (English)

2001:

2001 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Report (English)

1999:

1999 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Report (English)

1998:

1998 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Recommendations (English)

1997:

1997 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Report (English)

1996:

1996 INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting Report (English)

There are no translations available.

INSARAG is directed by a Steering Group, which consists of INSARAG Chairperson, INSARAG Secretary (which is held by the Chief of FCSS at UN OCHA), Chairpersons of Regional Groups, Vice Chairpersons of Regional Groups, national focal points of INSARAG External Classification (IEC) classified countries and Chairs of any relevant Ad-hoc working groups.

The INSARAG Secretariat seat is FCSS, UN OCHA, located in Geneva, Switzerland. The task of the INSARAG Secretariat is to organise INSARAG meetings, workshops, INSARAG External Classifications (IECs) and training events in cooperation with host countries.

The INSARAG Regional Groups are arranged as follows: Africa/Europe/Middle East Region, Americas Region, and Asia/Pacific Region. These Regional Groups meet annually to take measures to strengthen regional USAR response and ensure the strategic direction and policies from the Steering Group are implemented, and to assimilate relevant information from participating countries for submission to the Steering Group.

Task specific Ad-hoc Working Groups may be established from time to time at the request of the Steering Group, the Regional Groups or USAR Team Leaders. These groups are staffed with personnel who have the relevant experience and qualifications to address the issues under discussion and include a representative from the INSARAG Secretariat.

The INSARAG Secretariat convenes an annual USAR Team Leaders’ Meeting for all registered international USAR Team Leaders. These meetings provide a forum to discuss technical issues relating to training and best practice based on lessons learned from previous USAR operations and exercises.

FROM 1 JANUARY TO 31 DECEMBER 2019

Those countries that do not appear in the Directory have not informed the Secretariat of the designation of their INSARAG focal points. 

Please contact the INSARAG Secretariat at: 
Emergency Response Services Branch
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Tel: +41 22 917 3484
insarag@un.org 

Welcome to INSARAG Europe-Africa-Middle East Regional Group. Here you will find reports and information about the regional group meetings, exercises and training activities.

Welcome to INSARAG Asia Pacific Regional Group. Here you will find reports and information about the regional group meetings, exercises and training activities.

INSARAG AMERICAS REGIONAL GROUP BULLETINS

• The Americas Regional Chairmanship Group is pleased to share the news bulletin 2016/1