Protecting
People at Sea

Their Rights to Life,
Liberty and Health.

October 22, 2026

BlueRights Voices: Is Everything Really Shipshape?

Ships may appear highly ordered, but what happens when responsibility for the people on board is divided between owners, managers, employers and crewing agencies? In the first BlueRights Voices conversation, Sandhya Drew explains how fragmented responsibility can leave seafarers without clear protection, and why, in cases of abandonment, a supposedly secure workplace can become somewhere they are unable to leave.
October 22, 2026

Right to Life at Sea – Navigating Peace, War and Uncertainty

How can the right to life be protected across the many legal and operational realities of the sea? This BlueRights conference in Tromsø will bring together research on search and rescue, maritime security and conflict, and occupational risks to examine where protection works, where gaps remain, and how greater coherence and accountability can be achieved.
October 21, 2026

Call for Abstracts: Right to Life at Sea – Navigating Peace, War and Uncertainty

What does the right to life require at sea — in peace, conflict and uncertainty? BlueRights Working Group 1 invites submissions for the international conference Right […]
September 18, 2026

Research on the Move: BlueRights STSMs in Action

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.

WHY BLUERIGHTS

Human Rights
Violations at Sea

Every day, millions of people work, travel, and live at sea — seafarers, fishers, migrants, passengers, tourists, scientists, naval crew, and many others. Yet, when at sea, their human rights are often at risk.

Drowning, killings, torture, and life-threatening working conditions — along with other forms of abuse — frequently go unpunished, leaving victims without remedies.

For people at sea, fundamental rights such as life, liberty and health often remain beyond reach. BlueRights aims to change that.

WHAT IS BLUERIGHTS

BlueRights is a COST Action network funded by the European Union.

It brings together more than 200 experts from across Europe and beyond — from academia, private legal practice, industry, NGOs, governments and international organizations.

BlueRights experts come from diverse sectors — including shipping, fishing, law enforcement, health, and insurance — and bring a wide range of expertise in law, policy, and training.

Can’t wait to join our network?

Get involved

 

 

BlueRights maps existing policies and uncover gaps in legal protection, to develop practical tools and propose a legal framework that can effectively safeguard human rights at sea.

We do this through:

WORKING GROUPS

“People at sea keep our world moving — providing food, energy, and global connection. But for many, even the most basic human rights are not guaranteed. BlueRights exists to change that.”

Anna Petrig, Action Chair. See the full profile.

Anna Petrig, Action Chair. See the full profile.

LATEST NEWS

October 22, 2026

BlueRights Voices: Is Everything Really Shipshape?

Ships may appear highly ordered, but what happens when responsibility for the people on board is divided between owners, managers, employers and crewing agencies? In the first BlueRights Voices conversation, Sandhya Drew explains how fragmented responsibility can leave seafarers without clear protection, and why, in cases of abandonment, a supposedly secure workplace can become somewhere they are unable to leave.
October 22, 2026

Right to Life at Sea – Navigating Peace, War and Uncertainty

How can the right to life be protected across the many legal and operational realities of the sea? This BlueRights conference in Tromsø will bring together research on search and rescue, maritime security and conflict, and occupational risks to examine where protection works, where gaps remain, and how greater coherence and accountability can be achieved.
October 21, 2026

Call for Abstracts: Right to Life at Sea – Navigating Peace, War and Uncertainty

What does the right to life require at sea — in peace, conflict and uncertainty? BlueRights Working Group 1 invites submissions for the international conference Right […]
September 18, 2026

Research on the Move: BlueRights STSMs in Action

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.

UPCOMING EVENTS