Joint ILO/IMO Working Group on Medical Fitness Examinations of Seafarers and Ships’ Medicine Chest

A meeting of the Joint ILO/IMO Meeting on Medical Fitness Examinations of Seafarers and Ships' Medicine Chests was held in Geneva from 26 to 30 September 2011.

The purpose of the Meeting was to complete the revision of the Guidelines on the medical examination of seafarers leading to the issue of medical certificates, pursuant to the relevant requirements set out in the MLC, 2006, and the International Convention on STCW, 1978, as amended; and to consider the guidance relating to the ships‟ medicine chests, especially as regards quantities of equipment and supplies, so as to complete information contained in the latest edition of the International Medical Guide for Ships and facilitate compliance with the requirements of the relevant international Conventions.

The tripartite Meeting was attended by eight Government representatives nominated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), four Shipowner and four Seafarer representatives nominated by the respective groups of the ILO‟s Joint Maritime Commission. Several other governments were represented. A number of observers from intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations were also present.

The Meeting adopted the Guidelines on the medical examinations of seafarers.