IMO: Revision of STCW Convention and Training Guidelines

Last Monday at the IMO The IMO (International Maritime Organization) is a UN agency established in 1948, responsible for promoting maritime safety, security, and environmental protection by setting global standards for shipping practices and regulations. London, the 11th meeting of the Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW11) kicked off.

The working group on the revision of the IMO STCW Convention The STCW Convention (Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping) is an international convention established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). It sets standards for the training, certification, and watchkeeping of seafarers, aiming to enhance safety at sea and ensure the efficiency of maritime operations. has continued its work. This working group focused on identifying gaps in the convention to ensure it is future-proofed and better aligned with the developments in shipping. Phase 1 of the review has now been completed and during the next meeting, the working group will continue with phase 2. Herein, substantive proposals for amendments to the convention will be made.

Tjitso Westra of the KVNR participated in this working group on behalf of ICS.

A third working group was involved in the validation of several Model Courses including:

• GMDSS

• Company Security Officer

• Port Facility Security Officer

These Model Courses serve as guidance for the development of STCW training courses, but are not mandatory.