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What is INSARAG

INSARAG was created in 1990 following the initiatives of specialised international USAR teams who operated together in the Mexican earthquake of 1985 and Armenian earthquake of 1988. INSARAG is an intergovernmental humanitarian network of disaster managers, government officials, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and USAR practitioners operating under the umbrella of the UN. Within the realm of its mandate, they contribute to the implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.

Essence of UN General Assembly Resolution 57/150​

INSARAG successfully achieved the adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution, GA57/150 in 2002, on "Strengthening the Effectiveness and Coordination of International USAR Assistance." This resolution has underpinned much of the progress achieved by INSARAG and focuses on:

  • Quality standards
  • Sending and receiving arrangements made by member states
  • Facilitate access
  • Coordinating systems