Reference Material of Other Intergovernmental Organizations

This section includes references to international agreements which impact on Cospas-Sarsat operations.  

1  International Maritime Organization 

  • IMO Assembly Resolution A.662(16): Performance Standards for Float-Free Release and Activation Arrangements for Emergency Radio Equipment. 
  • IMO Assembly Resolution A.694(17): General Requirements for Shipborne Radio Equipment Forming Part of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) and for Electronic Navigational Aids. 
  • IMO Assembly Resolution A.696(17): Type Approval of Satellite Emergency PositionIndicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) Operating in the Cospas-Sarsat System. 
  • IMO Assembly Resolution A.810(19): Performance Standards for Float-Free Satellite Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) Operating on 406 MHz, as amended by Resolutions MSC.56(66) and MSC.120(74). 
  • IMO Assembly Resolution A.814(19): Guidelines for the Avoidance of False Distress Alerts. 
  • IMO Assembly Resolution A.887(21): Establishment, Updating and Retrieval of the Information Contained in the Registration Databases of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). 
  • MSC/Circ. 861: Measures to Reduce the Number of False Distress Alerts. 
  • MSC/Circ. 863: Recommendation on Prevention of Harmful Interference to 406 MHz EPIRBs Operating with Cospas-Sarsat System. 
  • MSC/Circ.1039: Guidelines for Shore-Based Maintenance of Satellite EPIRBs. 
  • MSC/Circ.1040: Guidelines on Annual Testing of 406 MHz Satellite EPIRBs. 
  • COMSAR/Circ.29: Guidelines for the voluntary use of standardized questionnaire and formats for reporting false alerts in collecting data on false alerts. 
  • International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended.  This document has been superseded by a later version
  • Resolution MSC.147(77): Adoption of the Revised Performance Standards for a Ship Security Alert System.  

2  International Civil Aviation Organization

  • Annexes to the Convention on International Civil Aviation:  - Annex 6: Operation of Aircraft.  - Annex 10: Aeronautical Telecommunications.  - Annex 12: Search and Rescue. 
  • International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual. 
  • Regional Air Navigation Plans.  

3  International Telecommunication Union 

  • Recommendation ITU-R M.585: Assignment and use of identities in the maritime mobile service
  • Recommendation ITU-R M.633-4: Transmission Characteristics of a Satellite Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (Satellite EPIRB) System Operating through a Satellite System in the 406 MHz Band.
  • Recommendation ITU-R M.1478-3: Protection criteria for Cospas-Sarsat search and rescue instruments in the band 406-406.1 MHz
  • Recommendation ITU-R M.1731-2: Protection criteria for Cospas-Sarsat local user terminals in the band 1 544-1 545 MHz
  • Recommendation ITU-R SM.1051-4: Priority of identifying and eliminating harmful interference in the frequency band 406-406.1 MHz and monitoring in the adjacent frequency bands 405.9 406 MHz and 406.1-406.2 MHz
  • Report ITU-R M. 2359-0: Protection of the 406-406.1 MHz band