STCW Convention
STCW stands for the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers. It sets minimum qualifications for masters, officers and crew on seagoing merchant ships and large yachts. It was adopted in London on July 7, 1978 and entered into force on April 28, 1984.
The convention was amended in 1995 and again in 2010. The 1995 amendments created a new STCW Code with detailed technical rules; full implementation for those already certified began in 2002. The 2010 amendments, known as the Manila Amendments, updated training, certification and watchkeeping requirements to reflect new technology and operations. They became effective on January 1, 2012, with a transition period through 2017 for full implementation.
The STCW does not set crew numbers; Manning levels are covered by SOLAS and related resolutions. It also applies to ships of non-party states when visiting ports of party states, to ensure equal treatment.
By 2018, STCW had 164 parties, representing about 99% of world merchant tonnage. In 1995, STCW-F was introduced as a separate treaty extending the same principles to fishing vessel personnel (vessels 24 meters or longer); it came into force on September 29, 2012.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:36 (CET).