Group photo of participants at the 2026 IAIN Officers’ Meeting

On 27 April, the International Association of Institutes of Navigation (IAIN) held its Officers’ Meeting in Vienna, Austria. The meeting was chaired by IAIN President Prof. Zhang Baochen. Attending the meeting were all officers including the Senior Vice President, Vice Presidents, Secretary General, and Treasurer, as well as IAIN representatives to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the US Positioning, Navigation and Timing Advisory Board (US PNT). Observers from navigation institutes of China, the United Kingdom, Italy,Poland, and the United States also participated.

The meeting received reports on the 2025 financial accounts and the 2026 financial status, the recent activities of IAIN representatives to international organizations, progress on the preparations for the 2027 and 2030 IAIN World Congresses, and the maintenance and operation of the IAIN website. The meeting reviewed and approved the composition of the new IAIN Awards Committee, the formation plan and annual work programme of the Technical Committee. Discussions were held on preparations for the next Officers’ transition next year. It was decided to immediately initiate the nomination process for the next term of Officers, the nomination of rotating members of the Technical Committee, and a consultation on the Technical Committee’s operating rules. The formation of the Technical Committee and the review of IAIN’s first technical standard are to be completed within the year.

The meeting highly commended the achievements made since the previous Officers’ Meeting, including in the participation in intergovernmental international organizations affairs, the establishment and drafting of operating rules for the Technical Committee, the formation of the Awards Committee, the development of a terminology standard for autonomous ships, and the content maintenance and operation of the IAIN website.

It was decided that a second Officers’ Meeting and the first meeting of the Technical Committee will be held within the year.

IMO is currently accepting nominations for exceptional acts of bravery performed at sea during the period 1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026. Nominations may also involve displays of extraordinary seamanship skills in very difficult conditions or any other acts of outstanding courage at sea. The nomination form can be submitted by any IMO Member State, intergovernmental organization in cooperation with IMO and non-governmental organization in consultative status with IMO. Please note the deadline for submission is 31 March 2026. Further information, including the Guidelines and the nomination form in Word format, can be found in the links below in the three working languages of the Organization:

Flyer in English

Flyer in French

Flyer in Spanish

Background information

Following the Council’s decision, at its 125th session, the Guidelines for the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea were revised to reflect the establishment of the three categories of honour: the Award, Certificates of Commendation and Letters of Commendation. Subsequently, the Council approved the revised Guidelines at its 127th session in July 2022 and, as a result, the name of the scheme became the “IMO Honours for Exceptional Bravery at Sea”.

The honours are awarded annually and were established by the Organization to provide international recognition for those who, at the risk of losing their own life, perform acts of exceptional bravery, displaying outstanding courage in attempting to save life at sea or in  attempting to prevent or mitigate damage to the marine environment. Such acts of bravery may also involve extraordinary seamanship skills in very difficult conditions or any other display of outstanding courage.

Nominations are scrutinized by an Assessment Panel made up of members of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with IMO, under the Chairship of the Secretary-General or his nominee. Subsequently, a Panel of Judges meets (under the Chairship of  the Chair of the Council, with the participation of the Chairs of the Maritime Safety Committee, Marine Environment Protection Committee, the Legal Committee, the Technical Co-operation Committee and the Facilitation Committee) to consider the recommendations of the Assessment Panel and to select the recipient of the Award.

The recipients of the Award and Certificates of Commendation will be invited to attend the IMO Awards Ceremony to receive their accolades in person. Recipients of Letters of Commendation may also attend the ceremony, if they wish – however, their letters will be posted to the nominating authorities, which will be responsible for forwarding/presenting the accolade to the recipients.

Read more at the IMO’s official announcement:

https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/ero/pages/imohonoursexceptionalbravery.aspx