Strengthening the Effectiveness and Coordination of International Urban Search and Rescue Assistance

Urges all States, consistent with their applicable measures relating to public safety and national security, to simplify or reduce, as appropriate, the customs and administrative procedures related to the entry, transit, stay and exit of international urban search and rescue teams and their equipment and materials, taking into account the Guidelines of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, particularly concerning visas for the rescuers and the quarantining of their animals, the utilization of air space and the import of search and rescue and technical communications equipment, necessary drugs and other relevant materials;

Also urges all States to undertake measures to ensure the safety and security of international urban search and rescue teams operating in their territory;

Further urges all States that have the capacity to provide international urban search and rescue assistance to take the necessary measures to ensure that international urban search and rescue teams under their responsibility are deployed and operate in accordance with internationally developed standards as specified in the Guidelines of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, particularly concerning timely deployment, self-sufficiency, training, operating procedures and equipment, and cultural awareness;

Encourages the strengthening of cooperation among States at the regional and subregional levels in the field of disaster preparedness and response, with particular respect to capacity-building at all levels;

Encourages Member States, with the facilitation of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat and in cooperation with the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, to continue efforts to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of international urban search and rescue assistance, including the further development of common standards;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-ninth session, a comprehensive, updated report with recommendations on progress in the improvement of efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of international urban search and rescue assistance, taking into account the extent of utilization of the Guidelines of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group.