Sharjah [UAE], May 28 (ANI/WAM): Cheryl Bertoia, Principal Operations Officer at COSPAS-SARSAT, expressed her gratitude to the UAE for hosting the 39th COSPAS-SARSAT Joint Committee Meeting in Abu Dhabi.

She emphasised the importance of the meeting in advancing and upgrading life-saving satellite and ground-based systems around the world.

The UAE is hosting the COSPAS-SARSAT Joint Committee Meeting for the first time, with the 39th session having commenced in Abu Dhabi.

Organised by the National Search and Rescue Centre (NSRC), the event runs from 27th May to 5th June 2025, bringing together more than 200 international experts.

The meeting aims to enhance global cooperation in satellite-based search and rescue efforts, with participation from over 45 countries and major international organisations such as ICAO, IMO, and ITU.

Through the COSPAS-SARSAT programme, the UAE is playing a proactive role in building strategic partnerships and sharing expertise to support global humanitarian and life-saving missions.

Bertoia said the committee would discuss integrating the MEOSAR satellite system, which supports navigation systems like GPS, Galileo, and BeiDou, into COSPAS-SARSAT operations.

She added that they plan to introduce two-way communication with distress beacons, allowing users to exchange signals with rescue coordination centres.

Bertoia praised the UAE's support, stating that the country's facilities are enabling an efficient and productive meeting focused on advancing life-saving technologies.

She noted the UAE's proposal to incorporate AI in search and rescue efforts and expressed the organisation's interest in learning more and potentially integrating these technologies into COSPAS-SARSAT's operations.

The meeting is expected to yield significant results that will enhance international coordination and support technological capabilities in emergency response. (ANI/WAM)