This handbook has been designed to serve two purposes. First, it provides
a concise overview of the convention and its requirements by highlighting
key features. Second, it makes the convention easier to use by describing
the parts that make up the whole. The need for a handbook of this kind
was stimulated by the dramatic revision of the International Convention
on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping, 1978 (STCW
Convention) in 1995. In July of that year, the countries which are parties
to this international agreement gathered in a conference at the International
Maritime Organization in London and agreed to a big package of changes
to the convention. These changes are important to anyone who owns, operates,
regulates or serves on a seagoing ship, as well as anyone concerned
with the qualifications of seafarers. The package of changes to the
STCW Convention (known as the 1995 Amendments) is not only lengthy,
but also complicated to anyone who may not already be familiar with
the principles that give it a foundation, or with the concepts that
serve as the building blocks. Those who read this handbook should find
the convention itself easier to understand and use.