SARC III
Developing Arctic Maritime Safety Cooperation
The SARC project coordinated by the Finnish Border Guard aims to develop practical level cooperation connected to Arctic maritime safety between Arctic states Coast Guards. The three-year-long project is scheduled to take place between 2016 and 2019 and it is divided into three phases. The third phase of the project starts on 1 September 2018 and continues until 31 August 2019.
The SARC project aims to bring forward Finnish companies working with Arctic solutions by providing an opportunity to showcase their know-how on an international arena. Through the project the Finnish Border Guard is also promoting cooperation between Finnish authorities and other stakeholders who operate in the Arctic maritime domain. Furthermore, the project supports the Finnish Chairmanships of the Arctic Coast Guard Forum (ACGF) and the Arctic Council in 2017-2019. The ongoing SARC III project builds on the first two phases of the project entity and continues to develop cooperation between Arctic stakeholders.
Activities of the SARC III project are divided into three entities:
- Training and courses
- Development of maritime preparedness
- Expert and stakeholder cooperation
The Arctic Coast Guard Week organized in Finland in April 2019 will function as the main event of the SARC III project and the Finnish Chairmanship of the Arctic Coast Guard Forum. The week consists of a number of events, including the Polaris 2019 Live Exercise of the ACGF, in which Arctic states Coast Guards will jointly train conducting a Mass Rescue Operation in Finland’s Search and Rescue Region. Participating assets of Polaris 2019 will consist of Arctic states’ Coast Guard vessels, SAR helicopters and surveillance aircrafts.
Furthermore, the ACGF Principals meeting is organized during the Arctic Coast Guard Week. The Principals meeting marks the end of the Finnish Chairmanship of the Arctic Coast Guard Forum, as the Icelandic Coast Guard will take over the Chairmanship at the meeting. The Arctic Coast Guard Week will culminate in the two-day Arctic Coast Guard Seminar, which aims to bring international experts together to discuss different issues regarding maritime safety in the Arctic region.
The SARC project is co-funded by the Cooperation Fund for the Baltic Sea, Barents Sea and Nordic Region of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
More information: https://www.raja.fi/projects/current/sarc
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