In order to support a globally interoperable system of seafarers' identity documents, ISO/IEC 24713-3:2009 establishes a biometric profile to define how to use biometrics for verification and identification of seafarers at the various stages of document issuance and inspection. It defines a set of base standards and criteria for applying those standards in applications where identity documents are issued to seafarers and biometrics are used to link each document to the seafarer to whom it was issued. It attempts to provide information on the processes surrounding the enrolment and verification or identification of seafarers so that the biometric components of the system can be used in a proper context. It also addresses other system components such as the storage medium for the biometric data and the security of the system, since these will affect the use of the biometric technology.