The Contribution of Space Technologies to Arctic Policy Priorities

B.2.5 Agreement on Cooperation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue in the Arctic Agreement on Cooperation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue in the Arctic Facts in Brief Jurisdiction: The Parties are: Sweden, Finland, Norway, Russian Federation, USA, Canada, Denmark, and Iceland. Responsible Organizations:

The Competent Authorities of the Parties are specified in Appendix I to the Agreement : Canada – Minister of National Defence; Denmark – Danish Maritime Authority; Finland –Ministry of the Interior; Finnish Transport Safety Agency; Iceland –Ministry of the Interior; Norway –Ministry of Justice and the Police; Russian Federation – Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation; Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergency and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters; Sweden – Swedish Maritime Administration; and United States of America – United States Coast Guard. The agencies responsible for aeronautical and maritime search and rescue, are specified in Appendix II to the Agreement : Canada – Canadian Forces; Canadian Coast Guard; Denmark – Danish Maritime Authority, Danish Transport Authority, Ministry of Fisheries – Faroe Islands; Finland – Finnish Border Guard; Iceland – Icelandic Coast Guard; Norway – Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, Northern Norway (JRCC NN Bodø); Russian Federation – Federal Air Transport Agency; Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport; Sweden – Swedish Maritime Administration; and United States of America – United States Coast Guard; United States Department of Defense. Status: The agreement was signed by all the Parties during the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Nuuk, Greenland on 12 May 2011 and it will enter into force 30 days after the Depositary (Canada) has received notification from all eight Members that they have completed their respective internal procedures. Type: Multilateral treaty. The agreement was negotiated under the auspices of the Arctic Council. Coverage: The agreement coordinates life-saving international maritime and aeronautical coverage and response across an area of about 13 million square miles in the Arctic in the event of a plane crash, cruise ship sinking, oil spill ,or other minor or major disaster. For each Party, the Agreement defines an area of the Arctic in which it will have lead responsibility in organizing responses to SAR incidents. Parties to the Agreement commit to provide SAR assistance regardless of the nationality or status of persons who may need it.

The delimitations of the aeronautical and maritime search and rescue regions relevant to this Agreement are specified in paragraph 1 of the Annex to this Agreement. The area in which each Party shall apply this Agreement is set forth in paragraph 2 of the Annex to this Agreement. Web link: http://library.arcticportal.org/1474/1/Arctic_SAR_Agreement_EN_FINAL_for_signature_21-Apr-2011.pdf (home http://www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/oceans/search-and-rescue)

The objective of this Agreement is to strengthen aeronautical and maritime search and rescue cooperation and coordination in the Arctic.

Policy Objectives

67 B. INVENTORY OF ARCTIC POLICIES AND INDUSTRY INTERESTS