Jamaica's seafarer training expertise is playing a key role in shaping the comprehensive overhaul of global rules governing the maritime workforce, according to International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez, who made the remarks during an official visit to the country.

Speaking to cadets and maritime professionals at the Caribbean Maritime University's (CMU) main campus at Palisadoes Park on Tuesday, 28 July, Mr. Dominguez acknowledged Jamaica's active contribution to the ongoing review of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) and its accompanying STCW Code. The STCW Convention, adopted in 1978 and most comprehensively updated through the 2010 Manila Amendments, sets the global benchmark for the training and certification of the world's approximately two million seafarers who crew the vessels carrying the bulk of international trade.

Phase one of the review has identified more than 400 gaps in the existing regulatory framework. The work addresses the impact of digitalisation, automation, and emerging technologies on shipboard operations, along with cybersecurity, mental health, psychological safety, violence and harassment, and gender and cultural diversity. The inclusion of wellbeing and welfare-related competencies reflects a shift in regulatory focus that gained momentum during the COVID-19 crew-change crisis, when hundreds of thousands of seafarers were stranded aboard vessels beyond their contracts.

Mr. Dominguez's programme in Jamaica, running from 26 to 30 July, includes attendance at the 31st Session of the International Seabed Authority Assembly, engagement with seafarers, visits to Kingston Wharves Limited and Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited, and a reception marking the 25th anniversary of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) — the focal point of the IMO — as well as the 30th anniversary of the Caribbean Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control.

The visit coincides with Jamaica marking 50 years of IMO membership, reflecting the country's continuing contribution to international maritime regulation and its advocacy for the interests of Caribbean and Small Island Developing States. Jamaica's prominent role in the STCW review demonstrates how SIDS, whose economies depend heavily on maritime trade and whose waters carry significant shipping traffic, are increasingly shaping the regulatory landscape rather than only complying with rules drafted elsewhere.

During his CMU visit, Mr. Dominguez was pictured alongside Mr. Bertrand Smith, Director General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, and Professor Andrew Spencer, President of the Caribbean Maritime University. He also met with Mr. Paulos Mckenzie, a Year Two Engine Cadet, Ms. Nyshauna Strachan, Second Officer, and Mr. Andre Gordon, Third Officer.

IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez said: "Jamaica is very active in the STCW review. You have a great deal of experience and expertise that IMO is aware of and relies on. Technology outpaces the way that we regulate. By the time we finish, if we are too specific about particular technologies, they may already be outdated."

Mr. Bertrand Smith, Director General of the MAJ, added: "The Secretary-General's recognition of Jamaica's expertise is especially meaningful as we mark 50 years of IMO membership. It demonstrates that sustained technical engagement enables Small Island Developing States to influence the rules governing international shipping. The Maritime Authority of Jamaica will remain actively involved in the STCW review, helping to ensure the revised framework keeps pace with technological change while keeping seafarers at the heart of shipping."

Source: Maritime Authority of Jamaica