Officers working on board Malta registered ships and who possess certificates of competence which were not issued by the Maltese maritime centre, are required to hold an endorsement which confirms recognition of such certificates by the Maltese administration. Over 46 bilateral agreements between the Maltese administration and foreign maritime administrations are in place so that certificates of competence supplied to seafarers are recognised after being deemed to comply with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 (STCW Convention). Chetcuti Cauchi Advocates’ Malta Endorsement of Seafarers Services lawyers check that all foreign certificates are indeed compliant with the Convention.
Malta Endorsement of Seafarers Services – the STCW Convention
The STCW Convention aims to encourage safety at sea as well as the protection of the marine environment by creating common international standards of training, certification and watchkeeping seafarers. The Convention provides that States which are party to the Convention are required to provide information to allow other States to check whether the seafarer’s competence certificates are authentic and valid. This is to, as far as possible, eliminate the danger of unqualified seafarers or seafarers with fraudulent certificates operating vessels.
How can Chetcuti Cauchi Advocates help?
Chetcuti Cauchi Advocates’ Maritime Practice Group offers assistance throughout every step of the endorsement procedure in Malta, from the compilation of the officer’s certificates to the acquisition of the endorsement certificate issued by the Maltese maritime centre. The firm’s Malta Endorsement of Seafarers Services team also offers legal advice on how to ensure that the requirements of the STCW Convention are met.
