National delegates attended from following countries: Belgium, Brazil, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Italy, Monaco, Portugal, Switzerland, the United States of America and the former Yugoslavia.

Following a decision at that congress, a meeting was held in Monaco on 9–11 January 1959, which officially established the World Underwater Federation, with an acronym based on its French title as CMAS.

[4][5][6] These committees are overseen by a board of directors (BoD) elected periodically at the annually convened general assembly.

[9][10] Since CMAS effectively started as a volunteer organisation for hobbyists, its courses tend to reflect the full range of European and world diving standards.

[12] Snorkelling Standards are provided for the following speciality training for recreational divers:[12] Standards are provided for the following technical diver training grades:[12] Standards are provided for the training of the following grades of recreational snorkel and scuba instructors:[12] Standards are provided for speciality training of assistants, dive supervisors, snorkel instructors and scuba instructors:[12] The committee considers its main task is to bring to the attention of the world underwater diving community, the important issues concerning the marine environment and how divers can play a major role in protecting it by serving as frontline observers of its overall health, particularly in respect to invasive species, coastal ecosystems and biodiversity.

[25] Its officers who are elected from persons nominated at the CMAS General Assembly by affiliated national diving federations include the following positions – president, secretary, a number of general members and presidents of the following commissions – marine biology, marine archaeology, geology and professional relationships.

This internationally recognized standard of competence is a distinct advantage for working scientists who wish to travel between laboratories and institutes in different countries.