The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and South Korea signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the mutual recognition of seafarers’ certificates between the two countries. The MoU was signed on the Saudi side by the Minister of Transport and Logistics Services and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Transport General Authority, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser. On the Korean side, the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Cho Seung-hwan.
The Saudi Ambassador to South Korea exchanged documents ratifying the agreement concluded between the two brotherly countries in the field of maritime cooperation.
The signing of the MoU is to recognize the education, training, and qualification certificates for seafarers working on ships between the Kingdom and South Korea and to implement the provisions of the International Convention (STCW) of 1978 AD and its amendments regarding levels of training, certification and shift work for seafarers. Moreover, to ensure the competence of the officers and sailors working on board the ships of the two countries and their eligibility to carry out their tasks and to achieve optimal standards of maritime safety, property protection and preservation of the marine environment, and to fulfill the requirements of their respective duties while carrying out their work on board the ships.
The memorandum will also enhance aspects of coordination and joint work between the two countries in a situation where the necessary frameworks and legislation to implement its requirements and to provide educational and training programs and evaluation mechanisms to grant certificates to seafarers from the two countries, integration and the participation of fellow seafarers from different countries of the world to ensure the continued flow of global supply chains and logistics services.
The memorandum of understanding for the mutual recognition of seafarers’ certificates between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and South Korea includes a set of important regulatory articles such as requirements for recognition of certificates, training and evaluation of seafarers in accordance with the provisions of the basic agreements of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), and how the maritime authority issues a certificate of recognition after verifying the requirements, that the assessment of quality standards is compatible with the requirements of Regulation (I/8) of the Basic Agreement, And that those responsible for training and evaluation be appropriately qualified according to the standards of the agreement, as well as the mechanisms of auditing and verifying the validity of issuance of certificates and the validity of their duration, and the exchange of visits necessary to verify the implementation of the requirements. This includes the possibility of visiting the maritime departments and the maritime education and training institutions of the other party in order to see the capabilities of each party to the implementation of the requirements of maritime training and education and issuance of certificates, standards for issuance of certificates, procedures for endorsement, renewal, suspension or cancellation of certificates, as well as the exchange of information regarding the validity of the certificate and ensuring its validity, and the establishment of an electronic database for marine personnel, and other levels of organization and work which serves the sailors working on board ships in both countries.
Furthermore, this memorandum is within the framework of our wise government’s prioritization and concern for the seafarers, supporting them in educational and training programs, developing their capabilities in the maritime sector, and opening new horizons for cooperation and joint work in the fields of knowledge and qualification, in a way that guarantees the improvement of the quality and efficiency of the Saudi seafarers, and to complete the process of giving and make more efforts.
Source: Saudi Press Agency