Protection of Liberty at Sea

Sub-working groups

Sub-working gorup 2.1

Arrest and Detention

The SWG will address how the right to personal freedom may be negatively impacted in the course of arrest or similar measures of deprivation of liberty taking place at sea, as well as during formal or informal detention at sea, by either the master of the vessel of by state organs on board other vessels. The SWG will identify what specific rules have been developed with respect to the maritime environment and will draw comparisons with similar rules developed with respect to dry land, in order to evaluate whether the existing legal framework adequately protects the right to liberty of the person and advance suggestions about further development of the rules in this area.

Sub-working group 2.2

Forced Labour and Trafficking

The SWG will focus on deprivation of liberty as a consequence of practices amounting to (modern) slavery and forced labour taking place at sea. The SWG will also address trafficking of persons, to the extent that this takes place at sea. the SWG will aim at assessing the existing legal framework, in order to identify the extent to which it achieves the aim of protecting liberty of the person, will identify best practices, and will advance suggestions for normative, administrative, and other changes to better fight against these forms of slavery and ensure that all persons at sea may enjoy liberty of the person.

MoU – 016/24
CSO Approval date – 17/05/2024
Start date – 31/10/2024
End date – 30/10/2028

COST

COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a funding agency for research and innovation networks. Our Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and enable scientists to grow their ideas by sharing them with their peers. This boosts their research, career and innovation.

COST Action CA23103

While the oceans are attracting growing attention, people at sea still receive little consideration by stakeholders, scholars and the public at large. The frequent violations of their most basic human rights, which safeguard their life, liberty and health, often go unseen and unpunished. 

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