Final Act of the Conference of Parties to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978
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Final Act of the Conference of Parties to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978

  1 Pursuant to the decision of Parties to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, made during the sixty-second session (24 to 28 May 1993) of the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and subsequent decisions by IMO's Council at its seventieth session and the Assembly at its eighteenth session and, in accordance with article XII(1)(b) of the said International Convention, a Conference of Parties to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Seafarers, 1978, was convened, in consultation with the Director-General of the International Labour Office, to consider and adopt amendments to the annex to the 1978 STCW Convention and an associated Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code.

  2 Upon the invitation of the International Maritime Organization, the Conference was held in London from 26 June to 7 July 1995.

  3 Representatives of 71 Parties to the 1978 STCW Convention participated in the Conference, namely the representatives of:

  • Algeria
  • Angola
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Bahamas
  • Belgium
  • Benin
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Cote d'Ivoire
  • Croatia
  • Cuba
  • Cyprus
  • Denmark
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • Finland
  • France
  • Gabon
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Greece
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Latvia
  • Liberia
  • Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
  • Luxembourg
  • Malaysia
  • Malta
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mexico
  • Myanmar
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Nigeria
  • Norway
  • Panama
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Republic of Korea
  • Romania
  • Russian Federation
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Singapore
  • Slovenia
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • United States of America
  • Uruguay
  • Vanuatu
  • Venezuela

  4 The following States sent observers to the Conference:

  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Congo
  • Estonia
  • Holy See
  • Iran (Islamic Republic of)
  • Morocco
  • Thailand
  • Ukraine

  5 Hong Kong, an Associate Member of the International Maritime Organization, sent observers to the Conference.

  6 The following organizations of the United Nations system were represented at the Conference:

  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
  • International Labour Organization (ILO)

  7 The following intergovernmental organizations sent observers to the Conference:

  • Commission of the European Communities (EC)
  • League of Arab States
  • International Mobile Satellite Organization (Inmarsat)
  • European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT)

  8 The following non-governmental organizations sent observers to the Conference:

  • International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)
  • International Shipping Federation Ltd (ISF)
  • International Chamber of Commerce Ltd (ICC)
  • International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)
  • The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO)
  • International Association of Classification Societies (IACS)
  • Latin American Shipowners' Association (LASA)
  • Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF)
  • International Maritime Pilots' Association (IMPA)
  • International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC)
  • International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations (IFSMA)
  • Oil Industry International Exploration and Production Forum (E & P Forum)
  • International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO)
  • Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators Limited (SIGTTO)
  • International Lifeboat Federation (ILF)
  • International Road Transport Union (IRU)
  • International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL)
  • International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO)
  • International Maritime Lecturers Association (IMLA)

  9 The Conference was opened by Mr. W.A. O'Neil, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization.

  10 The Conference elected Mr. T.R. Funder, Head of the delegation of Denmark, President of the Conference.

  11 The following were elected Vice-Presidents of the Conference:

  • Mr. Ahoula Browa (Cote d'Ivoire)
  • Mr. Badawi Abd-Elwahab (Egypt)
  • Mr. A. Rozental (Mexico)
  • Mr. J. Brillantes (Philippines)
  • Mr. W.R. Dernier (South Africa)

  12 The Secretariat of the Conference consisted of the following officers:

Secretary-General: Mr. W.A. O'Neil
  Secretary-General of the Organization
Executive Secretary: Mr. E.E. Mitropoulos
  Director, Maritime Safety Division
Deputy Executive Secretary: Mr. T. Fossum
Senior Deputy Director, Maritime Safety Division
Assistant Executive Secretary: Mr. J.L. Thompson
Deputy Director, Maritime Safety Division

  13 The Conference established the following Committees:

Committee of the Whole  
Chairman: Captain J.H.A. Gauw (Netherlands)
Vice-Chairman: Captain D. Geraci (Argentina)
Vice-Chairman: Mr. M.T. Addico (Ghana)
Drafting Committee  
Chairman: Mr. J. Briggs (Australia)
Vice-Chairman: Captain F. Escobar (Ecuador)
Vice-Chairman: Mr. J.-M. Schindler (France)
Credentials Committee  
Chairman: Mr. D. Dimitrov (Bulgaria)

  14 The Drafting Committee was composed of representatives of the following States:

  • Australia
  • Chile
  • China
  • Ecuador
  • France
  • Russian Federation
  • Singapore
  • Tunisia
  • United States of America

  15 The Credentials Committee was composed of representatives of the following States:

  • Bulgaria
  • India
  • Peru
  • Portugal
  • United Arab Emirates

  16 The Conference used as the basis of its work a draft text of amendments to the annex to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, a draft Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code and associated draft Conference resolutions.

  17 The Conference also considered proposals, comments and observations submitted to the Conference by Governments Parties to the 1978 STCW Convention and international organizations concerned.

  18 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 adopted:

  • - the amendments to the annex to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, together with resolution 1 on adoption of the amendments, which constitute attachment 1 to this Final Act; and
  • - the Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code, together with resolution 2 on adoption of the Code, which constitute attachment 2 to this Final Act.

  19 The Conference also adopted the following resolutions set forth in attachment 3 to this Final Act:

Resolution 3: Transitional provisions
Resolution 4: Training of radio operators for the global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS)
Resolution 5: Training in crisis management and human behaviour for personnel serving on board ro-ro passenger ships
Resolution 6: Training of personnel on passenger ships
Resolution 7: Monitoring the implications of alternative certification
Resolution 8: Promotion of the technical knowledge, skills and professionalism of seafarers
Resolution 9: Development of international standards of medical fitness for seafarers
Resolution 10: Training of maritime pilots, vessel traffic service personnel and maritime personnel employed on mobile offshore units
Resolution 11: Promotion of technical co-operation
Resolution 12: Contribution of the World Maritime University (WMU) in the achievement of enhanced standards of maritime training
Resolution 13: Revision of model courses published by the International Maritime Organization
Resolution 14: Promotion of the participation of women in the maritime industry.

  20 This Final Act is established in a single original text in the Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish languages and is deposited with the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization.

  21 The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization shall send:

  • (a) certified copies of this Final Act, including attachment 3, to the Governments of States invited to be represented at the Conference;

  • (b) certified copies of the texts of the amendments to the 1978 STCW Convention and the STCW Code, together with resolution 1 on the adoption of the amendments and resolution 2 on the adoption of the STCW Code, to all Parties to the 1978 STCW Convention, in conformity with article XII(1)(b)(ii) thereof; and

  • (c) copies of the texts of the amendments to the 1978 STCW Convention and the STCW Code, together with the respective associated resolutions 1 and 2, to Governments of States which are not Parties to the 1978 STCW Convention.

 IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have affixed their signatures to this Final Act.footnote

DONE AT LONDON this seventh day of July one thousand nine hundred and ninety five.


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