2025 has been a busy and outward looking year for the IMRF, shaped by strong international engagement and steady, practical progress across the maritime search and rescue (SAR) community. Through meetings, training, advocacy and new initiatives, the IMRF has continued to turn shared experience into safer outcomes, guided by a simple belief: when learning is accessible, training is stronger and global voices are clearer, more lives are saved.

A renewed focus on safety learning has underpinned much of this work. The introduction of the Global SAR Safety Learnings Log through the #SaferSAR initiative created a shared space for SAR organisations to report incidents and near misses in a way that supports learning without blame. As the year unfolded, further editions strengthened the growing evidence base, helping organisations better understand operational risk and apply lessons drawn directly from frontline experience.

Training and standards development progressed in equally practical ways. The publication of the pilot Search and Rescue Surface Craft Operator Training Guidance supports more consistent, high quality training for rescue craft operators across different operating contexts. This was followed by the launch of a new IMRF initiative to develop Training and Standards Guidance for Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centres (ARCC), with a focus on maritime SAR, a significant step towards shared international best practice for ARCC operations, with work continuing into 2026.

Mass Rescue Operations (MRO) continued to demand close attention as risk and complexity at sea grow. The G6 MRO Conference in Gothenburg brought together more than 140 participants from over 20 countries, creating space for open discussion, shared learning and collaboration between organisations facing similar challenges. The event reinforced the value of collective preparation for incidents where coordination, scale and sound decision making under pressure are critical.

Alongside formal guidance and conferences, the IMRF invested in peer to peer learning that directly shapes operational practice. The Lifeboat Crew Exchange once again demonstrated the value of crews learning from one another, with participants from across Europe and visiting colleagues from Australia sharing approaches, routines and operational culture in real working environments.

Progress on equality, leadership and inclusion remained central through #WomenInSAR. Leadership training delivered in Sydney marked the first time the programme had been hosted outside Finland, reflecting its growing global reach. The #WomenInSAR mentoring scheme continued to connect women across organisations and borders, supporting confidence, retention and progression while strengthening the sector as a whole.

On the global stage, the IMRF deepened its collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), contributing maritime SAR expertise to wider public health discussions and international advocacy. The IMRF also contributed to the development of a new WHO Global Strategy for Drowning Prevention, ensuring that maritime SAR is now firmly embedded within wider drowning prevention efforts worldwide.

Aviation and maritime coordination also featured strongly throughout the year. The IMRF took part in key International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) meetings, including the Europe and North Atlantic Region SAR Task Force, strengthening links with the aviation SAR community and supporting discussions on cross border cooperation. Alongside this, work continued within the ICAO and International Maritime Organization (IMO) Joint Working Group on SAR, with operational insight feeding into the ongoing development of international maritime SAR guidance, including emerging areas such as responder wellbeing and the psychology of emergency.

Advocacy at the IMO remained a core part of the IMRF’s role. Marking 40 years of consultative status at the IMO provided an opportunity to reflect on decades of influence and partnership, while current work continued through position papers and engagement on issues such as the review of SAR training requirements in the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW).

Several major projects aimed at strengthening long term system resilience gathered momentum during the year. Work began on a strategic review of the Global Maritime SAR System to assess effectiveness, identify gaps and explore emerging risks. In parallel, the IMRF launched the development of a free global e-learning platform for SAR personnel and commercial seafarers, helping to close training gaps through accessible, scalable learning.

Innovation and emerging risk also remained firmly in view. The IMRF supported and promoted research into lithium-ion battery fires at sea through the University of Queensland-led Batteries at Sea project, helping ensure the global SAR community is better prepared for a changing risk landscape.

Maritime SAR was also recognised within wider conversations about the ocean. At the UN Oceans Conference, the IMRF contributed to discussions on seas as humanitarian spaces, linking SAR operations with sustainable ocean stewardship and highlighting the growing pressures faced by both state and volunteer services.

These developments tell a clear story about 2025. The IMRF has continued to connect people across borders, translate lessons into practical guidance, strengthen advocacy through evidence, and invest in the partnerships and tools that keep SAR personnel safer. It is progress built not on a single moment, but on steady collaboration, shared responsibility and a collective commitment to saving lives on the world’s waters.