The human element is currently included within the
overarching principles of the Strategic Plan for the Organization for the
six-year period 2018 to 2023 (resolution A.1110(30)), which provides that the
human element will be taken into account in the review, development and
implementation of new and existing requirements, including skills, education
and training, and human capabilities, limitations and needs; and that IMO, in
all aspects of its work, will take into account the needs and well-being of
seafarers.
In addition to the already heavy human
element-related workload emanating essentially from the HTW Sub-Committee and
its terms of reference and associated regulatory instruments, such as the
assessment of information communicated by STCW Parties; implementation of
technical cooperation activities (in the context of environmental protection,
facilitation, safety and security) and the coordination of the model courses
programme; the following is a non-exhaustive description of relevant human
element-related actions and initiatives currently being undertaken or planned
to be undertaken by the Organization:
1.
comprehensive review of the STCW-F Convention;
2.
analysis of implementation issues of the 1978 STCW Convention, as
amended, with a view to possibly initiating a comprehensive review of the
Convention in the near future;
3.
addressing the human element-related work emanating from the regulatory
scoping exercise on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS);
4.
development of provisions for fair treatment of seafarers detained on
suspicion of committing a crime; and guidelines for port State authorities to
deal with abandonment cases;
5.
development of training provisions for seafarers related to the BWM
Convention;
6.
development of harmonized electronic messages to encourage the automatic
exchange of information between ship and shore and the integration of the
automatic exchange of information in maritime single window systems;
7.
actions emanating from the action plan to address marine plastic litter
from ships; and
8.
several interagency partnerships initiatives with various UN Specialized
Agencies, mainly ILO.