In 1924, the RNLI celebrated its 100th birthday. It was not alone in the world as a lifeboat service, and foreign friends came to the UK to join the festivities. This gathering was so successful that it was made a regular event, with a meeting every four years, hosted by a different country each time. What was at first a loose assembly of national services was formalised in 1951 with the RNLI as secretariat but it was not until the 1960s that the ILF proper formed.

In the 1970s the International Maritime Organisation gave the ILF observer status, recognising its ability to faithfully represent rescue services. The relatively fledgling Federation's work was rewarded further with the International Maritime Prize in 1998.

The ILF's aim is to reduce lifethreatening incidents at sea through safety promotion. To do this it wants to enable member organisations to share their experience, in particular to find best practice in search and rescue and the latest technologies available to support this. For maximum effect it wishes to continue recruitment of members and then to have the means to help them become more securely established.

A major step forward was taken in 1999, the 175th year of the RNLI.The 18th conference was held in Bournemouth and members set themselves challenging targets: to modernise, professionalise and become altogether more purposeful, and to double organisation membership by the time of the next conference in 2003.

Membership has indeed risen since 1999, from 42 to 89 organisations in 62 countries (some countries have both a state and voluntary service) but increased membership and a new vision do not mean the money is automatically available to achieve all of the ILF's objectives. The decision was made at the 2003 conference in South Africa, therefore, to develop the ILF to full independence from the RNLI by 2007 and to work for both company and charitable status.

The RNLI will continue to fund the Federation until it reaches independence and from then on will remain a member, for there is always something to learn from its colleagues. For example, Sweden has developed a new personal watercraft (jet ski) that may be of use to RNLI lifeguards..