Ref. T2/4.2.1 MSC/Circ.1032
23 May 2002
Guidance for port State control officers on references to STCW 95 in certificates, endorsements
and documentary evidence
1 ThenormalpracticewithintheInternationalMaritimeOrganizationistorefertointernational conventionsbyanacronymofthetitleoftheconventionandthedateonwhichitwasmade(e.g. SOLAS1974).Whereamendmentsaremadetotheoriginalconvention,thetitleisthenamendedto reflecttheamendments(e.g.SOLAS1974,asamended)butitisnotnormalpracticetoappendthe dates of the amendments to the title of the amended convention. In the case of the STCW Convention,whichwassubjecttoamajorrevisionandexpansionin1995,theterm“STCW95 Convention”hasbeenusedasaconvenienttermandshorttitleandtheterm`asamendedin1995, hasbeenincludedintheformatofcertificatesandendorsementsgiveninsectionA-I/2oftheSTCW Code,notwithstandingthefactthattheConventionandCodehavebeenamended subsequently in 1997 and 1998.
2 TheMaritimeSafetyCommittee,atitsseventy-fifthsession(15to24May2002),notedthat theuseoftheterm“STCW95”tomeantheInternationalConventiononStandardsofTraining, CertificationandWatchkeepingforSeafarers,1978,asamended,hadledtosomeconfusion. In particular, confusion had arisen during port State control inspections of seafarers' certificates, endorsementsanddocumentaryevidencewhendocumentsattesting ompetencyortraininghadbeen questionedordeemedinvalidbecausetheydidnotbearareferencetoSTCW 95ortheformatof certificates and endorsements, as given in section A-I/2 of the STCW Code, had not included reference to the Convention `as amended in 1995’.
3 TheCommitteethereforeagreedthat,notwithstandingtheformatgiveninsectionA-I/2ofthe STCW Code which states that certificates or endorsements are issued “under the provisions of the InternationalConventiononStandardsofTraining,CertificationandWatchkeeping for Seafarers,
1978,asamendedin1995”,amoreappropriateexpressionwouldbe“undertheprovisionsofthe International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978,asamended",totakeintoaccountthesubsequentamendments. Inaddition,theCommittee agreedthatitwasimportantthatcertificatesanddocumentaryevidenceissuedinrespectofthe trainingrequiredinSTCWchaptersVandVIshouldincludeappropriatereferencestoregulationsin the Convention and sections of the Code but they need not necessarily include a reference to STCW95, particularly as, in some cases, the training did not become a requirement until a subsequent amendment had entered into force.
4 InordertoavoidconfusionduringportStatecontrolinspectionsofseafarers'certificates,
endorsements and documentary evidence, the Committee recommended that port State control officersacceptvalidandauthenticcertificatesandendorsementswhichincludeintheirtitlethatthe certificate or endorsement has been issued either:
1 “undertheprovisionsoftheInternationalConventiononStandardsofTraining, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended in 1995”, as provided in section A-I/2 of the STCW Code; or
2 “undertheprovisionsoftheInternationalConventiononStandardsofTraining, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended”, which takes account of all the amendments made to the Convention subsequently.
5 The Committee also recommended that port State control officers should not, when undertakinginspectionsofcertificatesanddocumentaryevidenceissuedinrespectofthetraining requiredunderSTCWchaptersVandVI,callforreferencestoSTCW95butensurethatappropriate references to regulations in the Convention and sections of the Code are given.
6 TheCommitteeinvitedMemberGovernmentstobringthisinformationtotheattentionofall concerned, especially port State control officers.