Circular Letter
MSC/Circ.978

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON STANDARDS OF TRAINING, CERTIFICATION AND WATCHKEEPING FOR SEAFARERS (STCW), 1978, AS AMENDED

Parties to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended, confirmed by the Maritime Safety Committee to have communicated information which demonstrates that full and complete effect is given to the relevant provisions of the Convention

(adopted on 6 December 2000)

1. The Maritime Safety Committee, at its seventy-third session (27 November to 6 December 2000), received the Secretary-General's reports pursuant to regulation I/7, paragraph 2 of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended, (STCW Convention). The reports were in respect of those Parties that had communicated information in advance of the STCW Convention deadline of 1 August 1998 and, for those Parties with a later implementation date, reports for those Parties that had communicated information in advance of their respective deadlines.

2. The Committee noted that, in preparing the reports required by STCW regulation I/7, paragraph 2, the Secretary-General had solicited and taken into account the views of the competent persons selected from the list established pursuant to paragraph 5 of section A-I/7 of the STCW Code and circulated as MSC/Circ.797, as revised from time to time.

3. In accordance with STCW regulation I/7, paragraph 3, the Committee confirmed that the STCW Parties listed at Annex have communicated information which demonstrates that they give fall and complete effect to the relevant provisions of the STCW Convention. The Committee noted mat, as me process of communicating and evaluating information is continuing, further Parties may be added to the list at annex at its subsequent meetings.

4. The Committee draws the attention of maritime administrations, shipowners, ship operators and managers, ship masters and other parties concerned to the following:

.1 not all of the STCW Parties listed at Annex provide seafarer training, and some of those Parties listed may only provide a limited range of training; and

.2 the fact that a Party is listed in the Annex does not relieve those concerned of their obligations under the STCW Convention.

5. Notwithstanding the Committee's identification of me Parties listed at Annex. Member Governments are invited to draw the attention of their port State control officers to the guidance contained in MSC/Circ.918 including the fact that valid certificates of competency and endorsements issued or recognized by a Party in accordance with the relevant provisions of the STCW Convention, which were in force immediately prior to 1 February 1997, remain valid until 1 February 2002, subject to STCW regulation I/15.

6. As Parties arc entitled to accept, in principle, certificates issued by or on behalf of Parties identified in The list at Annex, and a position on that list is one of the necessary measures used by many Administrations for the issue of endorsements in compliance with STCW regulation I/10, me attention of port State control officers is drawn to the fact that this circular was issued on 6 December 2000 and, therefore, for practical reasons, seafarers should not be expected to hold certificates with such endorsements until 1 February 2002.

Annex.

Parties to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended, confirmed by the Maritime Safety Committee to have communicated information which demonstrates that full and complete effect is given to the relevant provisions of the Convention