International Search and Rescue Advisory Group

The International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) is an advisory body established in 1991 to facilitate coordination among the various international search and rescue teams. It focuses on Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) and aims to establish standards and classifications as well as a methodology for international response coordination in the aftermath of earthquakes and collapsed structure disasters. The INSARAG Secretariat is located in the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.^[1]

INSARAG

International Search and Rescue Advisory Group
Agency overview
Agency executive	Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, Secretary of INSARAG
Parent agency	UNOCHA
Website	www.insarag.org

History

German aid organization "@fire" classified by INSARAG as the world's first "USAR Light" earthquake rescue team

INSARAG was established in 1991 after urban search and rescue teams responded to the 1985 Mexico City and 1988 Armenia earthquakes.^[2] The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) hosts the INSARAG Secretariat in Geneva.

INSARAG's activities are guided by UN General Assembly Resolution 57/150 (16 December 2002) on strengthening international USAR coordination, and by the Hyogo Declaration from its first Global Meeting in Kobe in 2010.

INSARAG has contributed to major responses, including the 2015 Nepal earthquake^[3] and the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.^[4]

Mandate

Gary Carroll and his dog Diesel from the UK's International Search and Rescue team in Chautara, April 2015

The INSARAG mandate includes:^[5]

• developing effective international USAR procedures and operational standards
• implementing the Strengthening the Effectiveness document
• improving cooperation and coordination among international USAR teams at disaster sites
• promoting USAR preparedness activities in disaster-prone countries
• developing standardized guidelines and procedures
• sharing best practices among national and international USAR teams
• defining minimum requirements for international USAR teams

Membership

Membership in INSARAG is open to any country or organization involved in urban search and rescue (USAR). Prospective members must designate a national focal point to liaise with the INSARAG Regional Group and Secretariat. Organizations apply through their national focal point. Although not required for membership, countries with internationally deployable USAR teams are encouraged to obtain INSARAG External Classification (IEC).

Members engage in a global knowledge-sharing network for collapsed-structure rescue and operational coordination. They attend annual regional meetings and contribute to INSARAG working groups. Members access the Virtual On-Site Operations Coordination Centre (Virtual OSOCC) and the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS) for real-time alerts and coordination tools. The INSARAG Secretariat maintains the USAR Directory, listing member countries and their USAR teams.^[6]

Leadership

INSARAG members convening in Argentina, November 2019

In February 2023, INSARAG leadership comprised a Secretary and regional sub-Secretaries:^[7]

• Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, Secretary of INSARAG
• Haruka Ezaki, sub-Secretary for Asia-Pacific
• Lucien Jaggi, sub-Secretary for Middle East and North Africa
• Clement Kalonga, sub-Secretary for Africa
• Ana Maria Rebaza, sub-Secretary for the Americas
• Stefania Trassari, sub-Secretary for Europe and the CIS