Latest News
UPDATES FROM THE BLUERIGHTS NETWORK
BlueRights is an active and evolving network. This page highlights what’s new — from events and publications to member contributions and key milestones — offering a glimpse into the ongoing work, collaborations, and developments shaping the Action and its community.
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September 18, 2026
From Arctic search and rescue to maritime labour, migration law and communications, BlueRights members are using Short-Term Scientific Missions to deepen research, access new expertise and build collaborations across Europe. These four missions show what changes when researchers work in a different environment — and how mobility can turn new perspectives into stronger research and wider impact.
September 18, 2026
Marking 60 years of the UN International Covenants on Human Rights, this conference in Tbilisi will explore how human rights protection can better respond to vulnerable people. BlueRights sessions will focus on the right to health at sea, seafarers’ wellbeing, mental health vulnerabilities, and the legal and governance challenges shaping protection in maritime environments.
September 18, 2026
Twenty years after the adoption of the Maritime Labour Convention, this high-level panel will examine what the “Seafarers’ Bill of Rights” has achieved, where implementation gaps remain, and how it can be strengthened for the future. Bringing together voices from across the maritime sector, the discussion will focus on turning legal standards into effective protection and decent work for seafarers.
September 17, 2026
As attention focuses on shipping and energy supplies in the Strait of Hormuz, BlueRights members Patricia Kennedy, Anita Rayegani and Eka Siradze turn the lens onto the people aboard the ships — including the difficult question of whether seafarers can actually refuse to sail through a conflict zone.
September 17, 2026
From seafarer abandonment to health, safety and working conditions, this three-day Training School in Ankara explored how knowledge and training can strengthen the protection of people working at sea.
September 15, 2026
In this EJIL: Talk! post, Professor Anna Petrig examines whether serious human rights violations on board a vessel can affect the innocence of passage under UNCLOS, and whether international human rights law or transnational criminal law may turn coastal State powers into duties to act. The post explores legal uncertainty around jurisdiction, non-innocent passage, accountability, and the protection of people at sea.
August 26, 2026
What does liberty mean at sea, and how can it be protected in practice? BlueRights Working Group 2 invites scholars and stakeholders to submit abstracts for […]
August 25, 2026
The BlueRights 2027 International Conference on Protection of Liberty at Sea will examine how the right to liberty can be protected in maritime spaces. The conference […]
July 16, 2026
How can the maritime sector move from commitments on diversity and inclusion to meaningful change in practice? BlueRights supported Inclusion in Practice 2026, a one-day workshop […]
June 19, 2026
What does protecting health at sea require today? This Book of Abstracts brings together multidisciplinary research presented at the 2026 BlueRights International Conference on Protection of […]
June 15, 2026
How can conference insights become concrete action? In this blog post, Senka Šekularac-Ivošević reflects on the 2025 WMU gender equality conference, where discussions highlighted that progress […]
June 15, 2026
What does it take to move from good intentions to real inclusion in the maritime sector? In this blog post, Christos Kontovas reflects on his experience […]
June 15, 2026
What does meaningful collaboration look like in practice? In this blog post, Professor Momoko Kitada reflects on BlueRights’ contribution to the fourth gender equality conference hosted […]
June 15, 2026
Why does gender equality matter for the future of the blue economy? This blog post examines gender-based discrimination in the maritime sector as a human rights […]
June 15, 2026
What does gender mainstreaming mean in maritime practice? This handbook offers a practical guide for maritime organisations seeking to review their policies, operations, and workplace cultures […]
June 14, 2026
BlueRights warmly congratulates Professor Momoko Kitada, Leader of Sub-Working Group 3.2 on Well-Being and Mental Health, on receiving the IMO Gender Equality Award. Presented by IMO […]
June 14, 2026
The international scientific conference Human Rights at Risk: Organized Crime at Sea and Across Borders will bring together scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and other experts to examine […]
June 13, 2026
This online Working Group 2 meeting will examine the interception of a civilian vessel involved in a maritime solidarity mission to Gaza and the arrest and […]
June 13, 2026
This year’s IMO International Day for Women in Maritime brought together experts from across the sector, including BlueRights members Professor Momoko Kitada and Professor Anna Petrig. […]
June 13, 2026
On 16 April 2026, BlueRights signed its first Memorandum of Understanding with the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative in Jakarta. Signed by Professor Irini Papanicolopulu, BlueRights Vice-Chair, […]
June 12, 2026
BlueRights is offering up to six Inclusive Target Countries Conference Grants to support Action members presenting in person at high-level international conferences on topics related to […]
June 12, 2026
BlueRights is offering STSM Grants of up to EUR 4,000 to support members carrying out research visits at host organisations in another country. These missions strengthen […]
June 12, 2026
BlueRights is offering up to six Conference Grants for young researchers and innovators under 40 to present in person at high-level international conferences on topics related […]
May 10, 2026
Held in Lisbon under the theme “Turning the Tide”, this two-day workshop explored hybrid warfare at sea through expert lectures, scenario-based discussions, and practical exchanges. The […]
February 10, 2026
Held in Vigo on 12–13 February 2026, this hybrid workshop brought together experts from law, policy, civil society, and the fisheries sector to examine discrimination across […]