At precisely the time when IMO is undertaking a comprehensive review of the STCWConvention and Code, the US initiative provides a useful reminder that regulatory modernisation should involve subtraction as well as addition.
The central argument is that some of these requirements go beyond the competency standards established by the STCWConvention and STCW Code... mariners need to obtain or renew their STCW endorsements.
What is the STCW-F? ... A revised version of the STCW-F Convention and Code was adopted by the IMOMaritime Safety Committee in May 2024 and entered into force on 1 January 2026 ... develop a legislative framework implementing the revised STCW-F Convention.