The event was held at the ICAO North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACC) Regional Office in Mexico City, Mexico, from September 17-19, 2019.
The main objective of this Task Force is to support the current SAR initiatives in the NAM/RAC Regions and to achieve the agreed regional objectives. The purpose of this first meeting was to agree on the Terms of Reference and the Work Program, in order to support the achievement of the Regional Performance Objective (RPO). Improving Search and Rescue Services (SAR) of the NAM/CAR Regional Performance Based Air Navigation Implementation Plan (RPBANIP) and the CAR Region SAR Plan. The assessment of the current SAR compliance level (Effective Implementation (EI) of the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program (USOAP)) was also part of the discussion.
COCESNA was represented by Eng. Calvin Zúniga Coello, SAR Coordinator, who in turn presented a study note related to the report of the Central American Search and Rescue Committee (COBUSA).
The Meeting was pleased to elect our SAR Coordinator as Rapporteur of the Task Force, which is a recognition of the experience and contributions of COCESNA’s technical-operational staff in the different ICAO forums and events, as well as in the objective of continuing to proactively support the tasks, and to improve the regional implementation of SAR, with the support of States and leading International Organizations in the Region, through a renewed strategy to improve Search and Rescue Services in the CAR Region. As a critical element to this strategy, the NAM/RAC Air Navigation Implementation Task Force decided to establish the SAR Implementation Task Force.
Through the Task Force’s Work Program and Activities, the Region will obtain the necessary guidance and collaboration to support compliance with Annex 12 SARPs, the Caribbean Regional Search and Rescue Plan and a harmonized platform of support and collaboration for SAR operations.
