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International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and
Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978
Seafarers Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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