Director General of MAJ Elected to Chair Sub-Committee of IMO

Director General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), Rear Admiral Peter Brady has been elected to chair the International Maritime Organization (IMO) sub-committee on Standards of Training and Watchkeeping (STW).

The STW is the rulemaking body for the International Convention on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW Convention). The group held its conference at the IMO headquarters in London this week.

Rear Admiral Brady, who was the Vice Chairman, presided over this week’s meetings. This is the first time Jamaica has been elected to one of the permanent bodies of the IMO.

He told JIS News that his election would raise Jamaica’s profile, not only as an active member of the IMO, but also boost the island’s position as an international Ship Registry.

The STW sub-committee sets the rules, regulation, standards and guidelines for seafarers globally. Jamaica is a signatory to the STCW Convention and is among a ‘White List’ of countries that have been recognised as meeting all the requirements of the Convention.

The MAJ is an active member of the STW sub-committee, which meets annually in London to review, update and recommend new rules, standards, regulations and guidelines to marine administrations and mariners around the world. The MAJ also has oversight for the Caribbean Maritime Institute’s academic standards as required by the STCW Convention.

“The provisions were revised a few years ago and the standards upgraded. Jamaica was among the first to meet the requirements. This showed that we had the necessary administrative, technical and legislative regulations in place,” Rear Admiral Brady said.

This, he said, not only enhanced the country’s position as a Ship Registry, but it also meant that seafarers that are certified by Jamaica would be recognised as being of good quality for jobs at sea.

Rear Admiral Brady’s nomination was proposed by Canada, seconded by Japan and supported overwhelmingly by the delegates at the conference. Captain Winston Chin of the MAJ and Devron Newman of the Caribbean Maritime Institute also attended the conference.