ISF: 'Manila Amendments' to the STCW Convention - A quick guide for seafarers
New wide-ranging amendments to the STCW rules, agreed by governments in Manila in 2010, are intended to ensure that STCW standards stay relevant, so that seafarers can continue to develop
and maintain their professional skills. In particular, numerous changes are now being introduced
to take account of technical developments that require new shipboard competences.
The STCW amendments will begin to apply from 1 January 2012, when they enter into force. In particular, companies and crew will be required to comply with the new minimum STCW rest hour rules for seafarers.
Between now and January 2017, the other new requirements will be introduced by your maritime administration according to a transitional timetable. This short brochure, produced to coincide with the new IMO Day of the Seafarer (25 June, the day on which the 'Manila Amendments' were adopted) summarises what seafarers can expect from the updated STCW Convention.
The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters ("the Polar Code") was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on15th May 2015.
Like some other countries, the United States is a federal jurisdiction consisting of a national government and fifty states. Maritime law is almost exclusively federal statutory or judge-made law but state law is also relevant in certain respects.
