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International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978

Seafarers Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code

General Introduction & Resolution
PART A: TOC | Intro | Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | Ch 8
PART B: TOC | Intro | Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | Ch 8

  1. The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization has the honor to refer to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978 and to the Conference of Parties to the STCW Convention, which was held at the Headquarters of the Organization from 26 June to 7 July 1995.

  2. As a result of its deliberations, recorded in the reports of the respective Committees and in the records of decisions of plenary meetings of the Conference and meetings of the Committee of the Whole, the Conference, inter alia, adopted the Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code, together with resolution 2 on adoption of the Code, which constitutes attachment 2 to the Final Act of the Conference.

  3. The Conference (STCW/CONF/RD/2) agreed that, together with the draft Final Act, the full text of draft amendments to the STCW Convention and draft Conference resolutions would be submitted to the Plenary for adoption whilst, in respect of the STCW Code, only the text of draft amendments thereto agreed by the Committee of the Whole (STCW/CONF/DC/2 and STCW/CONF/DC/2/Corr.1) would be submitted to the Plenary for adoption and the remaining part of the Code would be adopted by reference to document STCW/CONF/5/Rev.1.

  4. Taking into account the instructions of the Conference and documents STCW/CONF/5/Rev.1, STCW/CONF/DC/2 and STCW/CONF/DC/2/Corr.1, the Secretariat has prepared the full text of the STCW Code, attached hereto.

  5. The attached text, which is circulated for the advance information of Parties to the STCW Convention and Member Governments, is not the authentic text of the STCW Code. The authentic text, which will exclude such detail as footnotes, will be circulated in due course.

Annex
Attachment 2 to the Final Act of the Conference
Attachment 2
Resolution 2
Adoption of the Seafarers of the Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Code



The Conference,

HAVING ADOPTED resolution 1 on Adoption of the 1995 amendments to the Annex to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978,

RECOGNIZING the importance of establishing detailed mandatory standards of competence and other mandatory provisions necessary to ensure that all seafarers shall be properly educated and trained, adequately experienced, skilled and competent to perform their duties in a manner which provides for the safety of life and property at sea and the protection of the marine environment,

ALSO RECOGNIZING the need to allow for the timely amendment of such mandatory standards and provisions in order to effectively respond to changes in technology, operations, practices and procedures used on board ships,

RECALLING that a large percentage of maritime casualties and pollution incidents are caused by human error,

APPRECIATING that one effective means of reducing the risks associated with human error in the operation of seagoing ships is to ensure that the highest practicable standards of training, certification and competence are maintained in respect of the seafarers who are employed on such ships,

DESIRING to achieve and maintain the highest practicable standards for the safety of life and property at sea and in port and for the protection of the environment,

HAVING CONSIDERED the Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code, comprised of part A - Mandatory standards regarding provisions of the Annex to the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended, and part B - Recommended guidance regarding provisions of the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended, proposed and circulated to all Members of the Organization and all Parties to the Convention,

NOTING that regulation I/1, paragraph 2, of the amended Annex to the 1978 STCW Convention provides that part A of the STCW Code supplements the regulations annexed to the Convention and that any reference to a requirement in a regulation also constitutes a reference to the corresponding section of part A of the STCW Code,

1. ADOPTS:

.1 the Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code, part A - Mandatory standards regarding provisions of the Annex to the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended, set out in Annex 1 to the present resolution;

.2 the Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code, part B - Recommended guidance regarding provisions of the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended, and its Annex, set out in Annex 2 to the present resolution;

2. RESOLVES:

.1 that the provisions of part A of the STCW Code shall enter into force for each Party to the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended, on the same date and in the same manner as the amendments to that Convention adopted by the Conference;

.2 to recommend that the guidance contained in part B of the STCW Code should be taken into account by all Parties to the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended, as from the date of entry into force of the amendments to that Convention adopted by the Conference;

3. INVITES the International Maritime Organization:

.1 to keep the provisions of parts A and B of the STCW Code under review and consult, as may be appropriate, with the International Labour Organization, the International Telecommunication Union and the World Health Organization and to bring the need for any future amendment thereto to the attention of the Maritime Safety Committee for consideration and adoption as may be appropriate;

.2 to communicate this resolution and any future amendment thereto that may be adopted, to the attention of all Parties to the STCW Convention.
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Last Modified 8/21/2008