Cabinet approves an Undertaking between India and Korea on Mutual Recognition of Certificates for Seafarers, 1978
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for
signing of an Undertaking between India and Korea on Mutual Recognition of
Certificates.
- It is in pursuance of the
Regulation 1/10 of International Convention on Standards of Training,
Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers, 1978, as amended.
Significance of this MoU:
Signing of the Undertaking will pave way for
recognition of maritime education and training, certificates of competency,
endorsements, training documentary evidence and medical fitness certificates
for seafarers issued by the Government of the other country.
About STCW:
The International Convention on Standards of
Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (or STCW), 1978 sets
qualification standards for masters, officers and watch personnel on seagoing
merchant ships.
- STCW was adopted in 1978 by
conference at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, and
entered into force in 1984. The Convention was significantly amended in
1995.
- The 1978 STCW Convention was the
first to establish basic requirements on training, certification and
watchkeeping for seafarers on an international level. Previously the
standards of training, certification and watchkeeping of officers and
ratings were established by individual governments, usually without
reference to practices in other countries.
- The Convention prescribes minimum
standards relating to training, certification and watchkeeping for
seafarers which countries are obliged to meet or exceed.
- The 1995 amendments, adopted by a
Conference, represented a major revision of the Convention, in response to
a recognized need to bring the Convention up to date.
- The 1995 amendments entered into force on 1 February 1997. One of the major features of the revision was the division of the technical annex into regulations, divided into Chapters as before, and a new STCW Code, to which many technical regulations were transferred. Part A of the Code is mandatory while Part B is recommended.
