The European Commission Work Programe, The European Oceans Pact, continues its progression.

The European Oceans Pact will set a vision for a holistic approach to ocean-related policies.

It will look at:

  • how we affect the ocean
  • how the ocean affects coastal communities
  • the opportunities that the ocean provides us with

It will aim to bring coherence across all EU policy areas linked to oceans. It will also focus on supporting resilient and healthy oceans and coastal areas, promoting the blue economy.

 

Call for Evidence

Evidence was submitted by 931 individuals and entities. This included from Human Rights at Sea International.

Submission

"The foundation principle that "human rights apply at sea, as they do on land" underpins the fact that any European Ocean Pact must reflect not just environmental, but human sustainability. This intimate relationship between human activity, ocean conservation and biodiversity protections must sit alongside established ocean governance standards, not simply under the framework convention UNCLOS 1982, but also from identifying and supporting soft law initiatives which further frame the concept and narrative of 'Human Rights at Sea', and associated human rights protections of all persons, living, working and transiting at sea. These include the Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea (www.gdhras.com) issued in Geneva, Switzerland, in March 2022, as well as the likes of the Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers which came into effect on 25 January 2025. In the UK, the development of the civil society concept of Human Rights at Sea has been led by the UK registered charity of the same name since 2013. The organization was awarded UN ECOSOC status in 2022 for its role in promoting an objective advocacy approach to all reasonable considerations around protecting persons at sea. The academic co-ordination and development of a collective EU approach to human rights protections at sea has most recently been boosted by the EU COST Action CA23103 - Life, liberty and health: ensuring universal protection of human rights at sea (BlueRights) convening programme. This has demonstrated that the concept of human rights at sea is no longer a theoretical, but a live issue for European academics and academic stakeholders. For more background on the development and scope, please see: www.humanrightsatsea.org / www.hrasi.org." 

Reference Links: 

1. CA23103 - Life, liberty and health: ensuring universal protection of human rights at sea (BlueRights): https://www.humanrightsatsea.org/news/eu-funding-bluerights-programme-boosts-human-rights-protections-sea  

2. Opening Conference BlueRights Conference "Life, liberty, and health at sea" 24 January 2025: https://www.humanrightsatsea.org/news/bluerights-london-conference-kicks-eu-funded-programme-increased-protections-sea  

3. Geneva Declaration Launch: https://www.humanrightsatsea.org/news/geneva-declaration-human-rights-sea-launched-today  

4. International Law Association and Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea: https://www.humanrightsatsea.org/news/international-law-associations-new-committee-champions-human-rights-sea  

5. Marine Insurance: https://www.humanrightsatsea.org/news/marine-insurance-nordics-conference-showcases-civil-society-human-rights-impac t 

6. International Foundation for the Law of the Sea: https://www.humanrightsatsea.org/news/international-foundation-law-sea-addresses-topic-human-rights-sea 

 

For further details see here.

ENDS.

 

Photo: iStock

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