VZCZCXRO6515
RR RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB
DE RUEHLO #0434/01 0331443
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021443Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1642
INFO RUWDQAC/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//G-CI/G-L/G-P/G-PS/G-PSO//
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0871
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1112
RHEFHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 000434 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO IO/OIC FOR M. MORRISSEY 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: IMO AORC ASEC UK
SUBJECT:  INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION (IMO): REPORT OF THE 
THIRTY-EIGHTH SESSION OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE (S/C) ON STANDARDS OF 
TRAINING AND WATCHKEEPING (STW), LONDON, 
JANUARY 22-26, 2007. 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY: The 38th session of the IMO STW S/C met in London 22-26 
January 2007, chaired by Rear Admiral Peter Brady (Jamaica).  The 
session was attended by delegations from 79 member states, 2 
associate members, and 22 observers from inter-governmental 
organizations and non-governmental organizations.  Working groups 
(WG) and Drafting groups (DG) were formed to address several of the 
agenda items.  USDEL objectives were achieved.  Accomplishments and 
outcomes of particular interest include the following: 
¶A.  The S/C, under Agenda item 6, developed security-related 
training and security-related familiarization requirements for 
shipboard personnel with and without designated security duties for 
inclusion into the STCW Convention and Code.  The S/C agreed that 
the draft requirements will enter into force with the amendments 
generated by the Comprehensive Review of the STCW Convention and 
Code.  Furthermore, the S/C agreed to re-examine the draft 
requirements during the Comprehensive Review of the STCW Convention 
and Code in order to avoid inconsistencies.  Furthermore, the S/C 
agreed that pending the eventual entry into force of these 
requirements, the newly developed training requirements should be 
disseminated at this time in the form of an MSC Circular, in order 
to positively enhance maritime security.  In addition, the S/C 
agreed that the required review of the STCW Convention and Code 
(particularly Chapters I and VIII), to include therein appropriate 
security-related provisions, should be included in the Comprehensive 
Review. 
¶B.  The S/C, under Agenda item 12, held lengthy discussions on the 
Comprehensive review of the STCW Convention and Code, and agreed on 
a set of eight (8) principles for the review:  (1) retain the 
structure and goals of the 1995 revisions to the STCW Convention and 
Code; (2) not to downscale the existing standards; (3) not to amend 
the Articles of the Convention; (4) address inconsistencies, 
interpretations, outdated provisions, MSC instructions, 
clarifications already issued and technological advances; (5) 
address requirements for effective communication; (6) provide for 
flexibility in terms of compliance and for required levels of 
training and certification and watchkeeping arrangements due to 
innovation in technology; (7) address special character and 
circumstances of short sea shipping and offshore industry; and (8) 
address security-related issues.  Following the agreed principles, 
the S/C developed the list of issues for consideration during the 
review, for the Committee's approval. Furthermore, the S/C agreed 
that the list of issues does not imply that amendments will be 
necessary. 
¶C.  The S/C, under Agenda item 13, agreed that resolution A.890(21), 
as amended, Principles of Safe Manning, should be reviewed to 
identify the possible need for revisions in a comprehensive manner. 
The US, supported by others, proposed that a holistic approach to 
manning, which evaluates the full spectrum of physiological, 
psychological, environmental and other influences to shipboard 
personnel, is the desired process to determine proper manning vice 
prescriptive and restrictive manning scales. The S/C agreed on 
criteria for consideration during the review and agreed to establish 
a correspondence group under the chairmanship of the United States. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  The S/C addressed all of the agenda items during the meeting. 
Agenda items of interest follow. 
 
¶3.  Agenda item 3 - Validation of Model Training Courses. 
The S/C validated the following model courses:  Liquefied petroleum 
gas (LPG) cargo and ballast handling simulator, Liquefied natural 
gas tanker (LNG) cargo and ballast handling simulator, and Chemical 
cargo and ballast handling simulator. 
 
¶4.  Agenda item 4 - Unlawful practices associated with certificates 
of competency.  The S/C agreed to revise the IMO reporting format, 
relating to reporting of fraudulent certificates detected, in order 
to assist in focusing the efforts on the prevalent types of fraud. 
 
¶5.  Agenda item 5 - Passenger Ship Safety.  The S/C agreed that 
review of training requirements relating to recovery techniques 
could be undertaken together with the Comprehensive Review of the 
STCW Convention and Code. 
 
¶6.  Agenda item 7 - Education and Training requirements for Fatigue 
Prevention, Mitigation and Management.  The S/C agreed to consider 
all issues relating to fatigue under the following S/C's work 
program items: review of the principles of safe manning levels of 
ships; and/or Comprehensive Review of the STCW Convention and Code. 
 
 
¶7.  Agenda item 8 - Development of training requirements for the 
control and management of ship's ballast water and sediments.  The 
IMO Secretariat reported on the status of the Model Course for 
 
LONDON 00000434  002 OF 002 
 
 
shipboard ballast water management developed by India.  The Model 
course had been forwarded to the validation panel and the 
Secretariat for comments, and these comments were passed on to India 
 
SIPDIS 
for incorporation into the final version.  The S/C instructed the 
IMO Secretariat to publish the model courses as soon as possible 
after receiving the final version. 
 
¶8.  Agenda item 9 - Development of competences for ratings. 
The S/C agreed on draft amendments for "able seafarer deck" and 
"able seafarer engine," for inclusion into the STCW Convention and 
Code.  Furthermore, the S/C agreed that the proposed amendments 
should be adopted after the Comprehensive Review of the STCW 
Convention and Code, so as to avoid inconsistencies. 
¶A.  The S/C agreed that seagoing service for certification under the 
new proposed regulations, able seafarer deck and engine, should be 
considered after a seafarer has met the certification requirements 
for ratings forming part of a navigational or engineering watch as 
appropriate.  Seagoing service in any capacity in the deck or engine 
department counts towards the required seagoing service for able 
seafarer deck or engine as appropriate. 
¶B.  The S/C agreed that the appropriate seagoing service for able 
seafarer deck should be not less than 18 months or not less than 12 
months with approved training, and that the appropriate seagoing 
service for able seafarer engine should be not less than 12 months 
or not less than 6 months with approved training. 
¶C.  The S/C agreed to include various grandfathering provisions to 
allow existing able seamen to be certified as able seafarer deck, 
and to allow existing equivalent engine ratings, such as QMED in the 
United States, to be certified as able seafarer engine. 
¶D.  The S/C did not agree to provide flexibility to modify the 
competence requirements, taking into consideration types of ships 
and/or operating areas, in order to issue restricted able seafarer 
certificates.  The S/C agreed that such flexibility would restrict 
seafarers' transfer to other types of ships and/or to other 
operating areas without undergoing further training and/or 
assessment. 
¶E.  The S/C agreed to address the issue of general purpose ratings 
during the Comprehensive Review. 
 
¶9.  Agenda item 10.  Casualty Analysis. The S/C discussed the 
Inter-Industry Working Group's study on incidents of explosions on 
chemical and product tankers.  The S/C endorsed the outcome of the 
MSC/MEPC Human Element working group, including the need to review 
and strengthen requirements leading to dangerous cargo endorsements, 
and the need to review industry procedures and guidelines.  There 
were no casualty analysis reports for consideration at this 
meeting. 
 
¶10.  Agenda item 11 - Identification of areas in chapter VI of the 
STCW Code where training cannot be conducted on board.  The S/C 
agreed to include this issue under the comprehensive review of the 
STCW Convention and Code. 
 
¶11.  Agenda item 15 - The S/C unanimously re-elected Rear Admiral 
Peter Brady (Jamaica) as Chairman and Mr. A. H. Kayssi (Lebanon) as 
Vice-Chairman, both for the calendar year 2008. 
 
¶12.  The thirty-ninth session of STW is tentatively scheduled for 4 
to 8 February 2008. 
 
TUTTLE