After the Paris and Tokyo MoU announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on STCW compliance from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022, the questionnaire has now been published as well.

The purpose of the Inspection Campaign is to determine the level of compliance with the requirements of STCW on board. As per the new revised guidance for PSC, issued by IMO Res. A.1155(32) “Procedures for Port State Control, 2021”, the PSCOs will focus on specific related items of Appendix 11 “Guidelines for Port State Control Officers on certification of seafarers, manning and hours of rest”. This means that PSCOs will not limit inspections only to a typical certification check but they will expand their focus on the evaluation of the Master, officers and crew’s competences when performing duties and during emergency scenarios.

The campaign on STCW aims to confirm that:

• The number of seafarers serving on board and their certificates are in conformity with the relevant provisions of STCW Convention and Code and the applicable safe manning requirements as determined by the Flag State Administration;
• All seafarers serving on board, who are required to be certificated in accordance with STCW Convention, hold an appropriate certificate or a valid dispensation, or provide documentary proof that an application for an endorsement has been submitted to the Flag State Administration;
• The seafarers on board hold a valid medical certificate as required by STCW Convention;
• The watch-keeping schedules and hours of rest indicate compliance with the requirements of STCW Convention and Code;
• The CIC will assist in raising the awareness of shipowners, operators and crew on the specific requirements in the STCW Convention and Code.

Now, the CIC questionnaire has been be finalized and is published in order to provide early guidance and preparation period for the inspection.