The legal framework of seafarer certification
The certification and qualification of seafarers in Georgia is governed by a dedicated law that rests entirely on the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers of 1978 and on the accompanying STCW Code — for the purposes of the law, both instruments apply in their latest versions. The law determines who may become a certified seafarer, under what conditions and in what procedure, and it regulates examinations, the issuance, recognition and registration of certificates.
Day-to-day administration of the certification system belongs to the Maritime Transport Agency, a public-law legal entity within the system of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia. The Agency issues, recognises and endorses certificates of competency and qualification, organises and conducts examinations, keeps the register of issued certificates and supervises the system of seafarers’ education and training. The competent state authority — the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development — exercises state control over the activities of the Agency in the manner established by Georgian legislation.