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International Amateur Radio Union

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International Amateur Radio Union
AbbreviationIARU
Formation1925[1]
TypeInternational nongovernmental organization (INGO)
PurposeAdvocacy
HeadquartersNewington, Connecticut, US
Region served
Worldwide
Membership
172 national member societies[2]
Official language
English[3]
President
Tim Ellam, VE6SH[1]
Main organ
Administrative Council[4]
Websitewww.iaru.org

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) is an international confederation of national organisations that allows a forum for common matters of concern to amateur radio operators worldwide, and collectively represents matters to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The International Amateur Radio Union was founded in 1925 and, as of July 2021, it is composed of 172 national member societies.[2]

History

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Following an informal meeting in 1924 of representatives from France, Great Britain, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, Canada, and the United States, a plan was formulated to hold an International Amateur Congress in Paris, France, in April 1925. This Congress was held for the purpose of founding an international amateur radio organization.[5] The Congress was attended by representatives of 23 countries in Europe, Americas, and Asia. A constitution for the IARU was adopted on April 17, and the formation of the International Amateur Radio Union was ratified on April 18, 1925.[6] In the current era, this is the date (April 18) on which World Amateur Radio Day is celebrated.[7] The protocol of the congress was written in English, French and Esperanto.[8]

Governance

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The IARU has an elected President and Vice President, an appointed Secretary and other officials (including regional representatives) forming an Administrative Council. These office holders are presently Timothy Ellam, VE6SH (Canada), President; Ole Garpestad, LA2RR (Norway), Vice-President; and Joel Harrison, W5ZN (United States), Secretary.[9][4] The IARU International Secretariat (IARUIS) is operated by a member society after election by members. Currently, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) operates the IARUIS from its headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, US.[10]

Regional organisation

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Countries with IARU Member Societies.
  Region 1 (101 members)
  Region 2 (42 members)
  Region 3 (29 members)

The IARU is organised into three regions, named Region 1, Region 2, and Region 3. These regions correspond to the regulatory regions used by the International Telecommunication Union. Each region has an Executive Committee, typically composed of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and several Directors. These regional officers are elected by representatives from the member societies at triennial regional conferences. Coordinators may be appointed by the Executive Committee of their region to support particular areas within the region, or to promote certain amateur radio activities within the region. All three regions have appointed Coordinators for Amateur Radio Direction Finding, emergency communications, monitoring for electromagnetic interference, and radio propagation.

IARU Region 1

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IARU Region 1 includes the member societies representing amateur radio operators in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and northern Asia. IARU Region 1 has the largest number of member societies among the three IARU regions, and has been the source of several international initiatives. IARU Region 1 lobbying efforts led to the creation of the 30 meter, 17 meter, and 12 meter amateur radio bands, improving the standardization of reciprocal licensing, promoting Amateur Radio Direction Finding and initiating youth related activities, known as "the Youngsters On the Air project" (YOTA) [11]

Executive officers:[12]

  • President: France Sylvain Azarian, F4GKR
  • Vice-President: Lebanon Hani Raad, OD5TE
  • Secretary: Sweden Mats Espling, SM6EAN
  • Treasurer: Switzerland Andreas Thiemann, HB9JOE
Country Member Society Abbreviation
and website (if available)
 Albania Albanian Amateur Radio Association AARA
 Algeria Association of Algerian Radio Amateurs ARA
 Andorra Andorran Amateur Radio Union URA
 Armenia Federation of Radiosport of the Republic of Armenia FRRA
 Austria Austrian Amateur Radio Society OEVSV
 Azerbaijan Federation of Radiosport of the Republic of Azerbaijan FRS
 Bahrain Bahrain Amateur Radio Society BARS
 Belarus Belarusian Federation of Radioamateurs and Radiosportsmen BFRR
 Belgium Royal Union of Belgian Radio Amateurs UBA
 Bosnia and Herzegovina Amateur Radio Association of Bosnia and Hercegovina ARAuBiH
 Botswana Botswana Amateur Radio Society BARS
 Bulgaria Bulgarian Federation of Radio Amateurs BFRA
 Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Amateur Radio Association ARBF
 Burundi Burundian Amateur Radio and Television Association ABART
 Cameroon Cameroon Amateur Radio Association ARTJ
 Ivory Coast Ivorian Amateur Radio Association ARAI
 Croatia Croatian Amateur Radio Association HRS
 Cyprus Cyprus Amateur Radio Society CARS
 Czech Republic Czech Radio Club CRK Archived 2023-04-09 at the Wayback Machine
 Democratic Republic of the Congo Congolese Amateur Radio Association ARAC
 Denmark Danish Amateur Radio Experimenters EDR
 Djibouti Djibouti Amateur Radio Association ARAD
 Egypt Egyptian Radio Amateurs Society for Development ERASD
 Estonia Estonian Radio Amateurs' Union ERAU
 Eswatini Radio Society of Eswatini RSE
 Ethiopia Ethiopian Amateur Radio Society EARS
 Faroe Islands Radio Amateurs of the Faroe Islands FRA
 Finland Finnish Amateur Radio League SRAL
 France Network of French Transmitters REF
 Gabon Gabonese Amateur Radio Association AGRA
 Gambia Radio Society of The Gambia RSTG
 Georgia National Association of Radio Amateurs of Georgia NARG
 Germany German Amateur Radio Club DARC
 Ghana Ghana Amateur Radio Society GARS
 Gibraltar Gibraltar Amateur Radio Society GARS
 Greece Radio Amateur Association of Greece RAAG
 Guinea Guinean Amateur Radio Association ARGUI
 Hungary Hungarian Amateur Radio Association MRASZ
 Iceland Icelandic Radio Amateurs IRA
 Iraq Iraqi Amateur Radio Society IARS
 Ireland Irish Radio Transmitters Society IRTS
 Israel Israel Amateur Radio Club IARC
 Italy Italian Amateur Radio Association ARI
 Jordan Royal Jordanian Radio Amateur Society RJRAS
 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Federation of Radiosport and Radio Amateur KFRR
 Kenya Amateur Radio Society of Kenya ARSK
 Kosovo Kosovo Amateur Radio Association SHRAK
 Kuwait Kuwait Amateur Radio Society KARS
 Kyrgyzstan Amateur Radio Union of the Kyrgyz Republic ARUKR
 Latvia Latvian Amateur Radio League LRAL
 Lebanon Radio Amateurs of Lebanon RAL Archived 2023-06-15 at the Wayback Machine
 Lesotho Lesotho Amateur Radio Society LARS
 Liberia Liberia Radio Amateur Association LRAA
 Liechtenstein Amateur Radio Association of Liechtenstein AFVL
 Lithuania Lithuanian Amateur Radio Society LRMD
 Luxembourg Luxembourg Amateur Radio Society RL
 Mali Club of Radio Amateurs and Affiliates of Mali CRAM
 Malta Malta Amateur Radio League MARL
 Mauritius Mauritius Amateur Radio Society MARS
 Moldova Amateur Radio Society of Moldova ARM
 Monaco Monegasque Amateur Radio Association ARM
 Mongolia Mongolian Radio Sport Federation MRSF
 Montenegro Montenegrin Amateur Radio Pool MARP
 Morocco Royal Moroccan Amateur Radio Association ARRAM
 Mozambique Mozambique Amateur Radio League LREM
 Namibia Namibian Amateur Radio League NARL
 Netherlands Dutch Association for Experimental Radio Research VERON
 Nigeria Nigeria Amateur Radio Society NARS
 North Macedonia Radio Amateur Society of North Macedonia RSM
 Norway Norwegian Radio Relay League NRRL
 Oman Royal Omani Amateur Radio Society ROARS
 Poland Polish Amateur Radio Union PZK
 Portugal Network of Portuguese Transmitters REP
 Qatar Qatar Amateur Radio Society QARS
 Republic of the Congo Congolese Amateur Radio Union URAC
 Romania Romanian Federation of Amateur Radio FRR
 Russia Russian Amateur Radio Union SRR
 Rwanda Rwanda Amateur Radio Union RARU
 San Marino Radio Amateur Association of the Republic of San Marino ARRSM
 Saudi Arabia Saudi Amateur Radio Society SARS
 Senegal Senegalese Amateur Radio Association ARAS Archived 2021-07-26 at the Wayback Machine
 Serbia Amateur Radio Union of Serbia SRS
 Seychelles Seychelles Amateur Radio Association SARA
 Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Amateur Radio Society SLARS
 Slovakia Slovak Amateur Radio Association SZR
 Slovenia Association of Radio Amateurs of Slovenia ZRS
 South Africa South African Radio League SARL
 Spain Spanish Amateur Radio Union URE
 Sudan Sudan Amateur Radio Union SARU
 Sweden Swedish Society of Radio Amateurs SSA
 Switzerland Union of Swiss Short Wave Amateurs USKA
 Syria Syrian Scientific Technical Amateur Radio Society SSTARS
 Tajikistan Tajik Amateur Radio League TARL
 Tanzania Tanzania Amateur Radio Club TARC
 Tunisia Tunisian Amateur Radio Association ARAT
 Turkey Turkish Amateur Radio Association TRAC
 Turkmenistan League of Radio Amateurs of Turkmenistan LRT
 Uganda Uganda Amateur Radio Society UARS
 Ukraine Ukrainian Amateur Radio League UARL
 United Arab Emirates Emirates Amateur Radio Society EARS Archived 2019-06-29 at the Wayback Machine
 United Kingdom Radio Society of Great Britain RSGB
 Zambia Radio Society of Zambia (withdrawn) RSZ
 Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Amateur Radio Society ZARS

IARU Region 2

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IARU Region 2 includes the member societies representing amateur radio operators in the Americas. The organization of IARU Region 2 was founded in 1964 when representatives from 15 national radio societies attended the First Panamerican Radio Amateur Congress in Mexico City, Mexico. Antonio Pita, XE1CCP was the region's first elected president.[13]

Executive officers:[14]

  • President: Mexico Ramón Santoyo, XE1KK
  • Vice-President: El Salvador José Arturo Molina, YS1MS
  • Secretary: Canada George Gorsline, VE3YV
  • Treasurer: United States John Bellows, K0QB
Country Member society Abbreviation
and website (if available)
 Anguilla Anguilla Amateur Radio Society AARS
 Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda Amateur Radio Society ABARS
 Argentina Argentine Radio Club RCA
 Aruba Aruba Amateur Radio Club AARC
 Bahamas Bahamas Amateur Radio Society BARS
 Barbados Amateur Radio Society of Barbados ARSB
 Belize Belize Amateur Radio Club BARC
 Bermuda Radio Society of Bermuda RSB
 Bolivia Radio Club of Bolivia RCB
 Brazil League of Brazilian Amateur Radio Transmitters LABRE
 British Virgin Islands British Virgin Islands Radio League BVIRL
 Canada Radio Amateurs of Canada RAC
 Cayman Islands Cayman Amateur Radio Society CARS
 Chile Chilean Radio Club RCCH
 Colombia Colombian Amateur Radio League LCRA
 Costa Rica Radio Club of Costa Rica RCCR
 Cuba Cuban Amateur Radio Federation FRC
 Curaçao Dutch Caribbean Association for Experimental Radio Research VERONA
 Dominica Dominica Amateur Radio Club DARCI
 Dominican Republic Radio Club of the Dominican Republic RCD Archived 2019-06-29 at the Wayback Machine
 Ecuador Guayaquil Radio Club GRC
 El Salvador El Salvador Amateur Radio Club CRAS
 Grenada Grenada Amateur Radio Society GARS
 Guatemala Guatemala Amateur Radio Club CRAG
 Guyana Guyana Amateur Radio Association (suspended) GARA
 Haiti Haitian Radio Club RCH
 Honduras Radio Club of Honduras RCH
 Jamaica Jamaica Amateur Radio Association JARA
 Mexico Mexican Federation of Radio Experimenters FMRE
 Montserrat Montserrat Amateur Radio Society MARS
 Nicaragua Nicaraguan Radio Experimenters' Club CREN
 Panama Panamanian Amateur Radio League LPRA
 Paraguay Radio Club of Paraguay RCP
 Peru Radio Club of Peru RCP
 Saint Kitts and Nevis St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla Amateur Radio Society SKNAARS
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines St. Vincent & the Grenadines Amateur Radio Club SVGARC
 Suriname Association of Radio Amateurs of Suriname (suspended) VRAS
 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio Society TTARS
 Turks and Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos Amateur Radio Society TACARS
 United States American Radio Relay League (IARU International Secretariat) ARRL
 Uruguay Radio Club of Uruguay RCU
 Venezuela Radio Club of Venezuela RCV

IARU Region 3

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IARU Region 3 includes the member societies representing amateur radio operators in Australia, most of Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Although most of their membership is located in other IARU regions, the American Radio Relay League and the Radio Society of Great Britain are full member societies of IARU Region 3. The ARRL represents amateur radio operators in American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Marianas, and other dependent territories in the Pacific Ocean. The RSGB represents amateur radio operators in the British Indian Ocean Territory. IARU Region 3 has a special emphasis on promoting the harmonization of license qualifications in an effort to promote easier reciprocal operations by amateur radio operators in the region.[15]

Executive officers:[16]

  • President: Indonesia Wisnu Widjaja, YB0AZ
  • Secretary: Japan Shizuo Endo, JE1MUI
Country Member society Abbreviation
and website (if available)
 Australia Wireless Institute of Australia WIA
 Bangladesh Bangladesh Amateur Radio League BARL
 Brunei Brunei Darussalam Amateur Radio Association BDARA Archived 2010-02-18 at the Wayback Machine
 China Chinese Radio Amateurs Club CRAC
 Republic of China Chinese Taipei Amateur Radio League CTARL
 Fiji Fiji Association of Radio Amateurs FARA
 French Polynesia Oceanian Radio and Astronomy Club CORA
 Hong Kong Hong Kong Amateur Radio Transmitting Society HARTS
 India Amateur Radio Society of India ARSI
 Indonesia Organisasi Amatir Radio Indonesia ORARI
 Japan Japan Amateur Radio League JARL
 Macau Macau Amateur Radio Society ARM
 Malaysia Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitters' Society MARTS Archived 2008-04-08 at the Wayback Machine
 Myanmar Burma Amateur Radio Transmitting Society (suspended) BARTS
 New Caledonia New Caledonian Amateur Radio Association ARANC
 New Zealand New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters NZART
 Pakistan Pakistan Amateur Radio Society PARS
 Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea Amateur Radio Society (suspended) PNGARS
 Philippines Philippine Amateur Radio Association PARA
 Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Island Amateur Radio Association PIARA
 Samoa Samoa Amateur Radio Club SARC
 Singapore Singapore Amateur Radio Transmitting Society SARTS
 Solomon Islands Solomon Islands Radio Society SIRS
 South Korea Korean Amateur Radio League KARL
 Sri Lanka Radio Society of Sri Lanka RSSL
 Thailand Radio Amateur Society of Thailand under The Royal Patronage of His Majesty The King RAST
 Tonga Amateur Radio Club of Tonga ARCOT
 Vanuatu Vanuatu Amateur Radio Society VARS
 Vietnam Vietnam Amateur Radio Club VARC

Countries without IARU member societies

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* = Amateur radio licenses not issued in this country

Region 1 Region 2 Region 3
 Angola
 Benin
 Cape Verde
 Central African Republic
 Chad
 Comoros
 Equatorial Guinea
 Eritrea
 Guinea-Bissau
 Libya
 Madagascar
 Malawi
 Mauritania
 Niger
 Palestine
 Somalia
 South Sudan
 Sudan
 Togo
 Uzbekistan
 Vatican City
 Yemen*
 Greenland
 Saint Lucia
 Afghanistan
 Bhutan
 Cambodia
 Cook Islands
 Federated States of Micronesia
 Iran
 Kiribati
 Laos
 Maldives
 Marshall Islands
 Nauru
 Nepal
 Niue
 North Korea*
 Palau
 Timor-Leste
 Tuvalu

GAREC - Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conferences

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The Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference or "GAREC" is a yearly conference held by the International Amateur Radio Union for discussion of amateur radio operation during natural disasters and other emergencies with the motto, "Saving lives through emergency communications".[17] GAREC was first held in Tampere, Finland in 2005, coinciding with the adoption of the Tampere Convention, a globally binding emergency communications treaty that had been signed in Tampere in 1998.[18] In later conferences, the venue has attempted to rotate in sequence through ITU Regions 1, 2 and 3 (though not necessarily in that particular order).

Radiosport

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The IARU organises and promotes radiosport activities throughout the world. The IARU promulgates the rules used for high-speed telegraphy and sponsors regional and world championships. The IARU also promulgates the rules used by most competitions in amateur radio direction finding, including IARU-sponsored regional and world championships. The IARU also sponsors the annual IARU HF World Championship in amateur radio contesting. The IARU does not directly administer any of these radiosport events, but authorises and sponsors them through host organisations.[19]

Operating Station and the WAC Award

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The IARU maintains a radio station at its headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. Its callsign is NU1AW. As an amateur radio station licensed by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission the "1" stands for its location in the New England area. "NU" was taken from the pre-1928 era when amateurs made up their own prefixes, and informally used these letters to show they were in "North America—USA". The "AW" suffix represents the connection with the American Radio Relay League, whose own station is W1AW. NU1AW is frequently active during amateur radio contests.[20]

For many years the IARU has issued the Worked All Continents certificate to amateurs who contact fellow hams in the six permanently populated continental areas of the world. Special awards and endorsements for various bands and modes are also available.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b International Amateur Radio Union (2007). "The International Amateur Radio Union". Feb. 1, 2020.
  2. ^ a b International Amateur Radio Union (2019). "Member Societies". Nov. 6, 2019.
  3. ^ IARU Constitution Archived 2008-02-20 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ a b International Amateur Radio Union (2005). "Constitution of the International Amateur Radio Union" Archived 2008-02-20 at the Wayback Machine. Jan. 11, 2005.
  5. ^ Clinton B. DeSoto (1936). 200 meters & Down — The Story of Amateur Radio. W. Hartford, CT: The American Radio Relay League. pp. 106–109. ISBN 0-87259-001-1.
  6. ^ Sumner, David (2000). "IARU 75th Anniversary, 18 April 2000" Archived 14 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine. The Calendar, International Amateur Radio Union, No. 180, March 15, 2000.
  7. ^ "World Amateur Radio Day". iaru.org.
  8. ^ editeur Etienne Chiron 40 rue de Seine Paris 1925
  9. ^ "About Us | IARU". www.iaru.org. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  10. ^ International Amateur Radio Union (2005). "The IARU International Secretariat" Archived 2008-02-11 at the Wayback Machine. January 11, 2005.
  11. ^ International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 (2008). "About IARU and IARU Region 1" Archived 2008-09-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  12. ^ "Executive Committee | International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)".
  13. ^ International Amateur Radio Union (2008). "IARU-R2 History". Retrieved Aug. 5, 2008.
  14. ^ "International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) | Executive Committee".
  15. ^ International Amateur Radio Union Region 3 (2008). "Directory" Archived 2013-04-15 at archive.today. Retrieved Aug. 5, 2008.
  16. ^ "IARU R3 Directors & Officers | International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)".
  17. ^ "GAREC 2010 Saving lives through Emergency Communications". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
  18. ^ The Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations. "The Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations". Archived from the original on 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2008-05-13.. Accessed 13 August 2007.
  19. ^ International Amateur Radio Union (2007). "IARU Contests". Jul. 23, 2007. Archived January 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ International Amateur Radio Union (1996). NU1AW: IARU's Club Station Archived 2009-02-06 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved November 30, 2008.
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