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HFW advises on development of Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea
Global law firm HFW has supported UK-based non-government organisation Human Rights at Sea in support of development of a new Geneva Declaration designed to define and defend the human rights of the global maritime population and those crossing the world’s oceans and seas.
Jerome Doraisamy
Firm: HFW (Human Rights at Sea)
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Deal: HFW has advised on the translation of the declaration into nine languages — Ukrainian, Russian, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, and Spanish — “to assist HRAS’ efforts to secure the support of states around the world for submission to the UN Human Rights Council to formally adopt the declaration”, the firm said in a statement.
“With the war in Ukraine now entering its second year, HRAS is discreetly supporting in-conflict and post-conflict activities to obtain justice for victims of human rights abuses, in particular the coastal communities in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov,” HFW continued.
“The declaration targets human rights abuses stemming from piracy, criminal violence, breaches of maritime labour rights, seafarer abandonment, slavery, trafficking, child labour, and failures in equality and inclusion.”
Area: Shipping and maritime law
Value: N/A
Key players: The HFW team included partner Alex Kemp.
Deal significance: Speaking about the advice provided, Mr Kemp said: “HFW is incredibly proud to continue to assist HRAS on this vitally important issue.
“The Geneva Declaration is a major milestone in the fight to end human rights abuses at sea. We would encourage organisations around the world to support the declaration in any way that they can, so that the lives of seafarers, who play such a crucial role to everyone’s day-to-day lives, are protected by law.”
HRAS chief executive David Hammond added: “We are incredibly grateful to HFW for its dedicated and ongoing support. The firm has been with us since the beginning and has played a vital role throughout the development of the declaration.
“These translations are essential in enabling and encouraging the use of the declaration around the world, to help to obtain justice for victims of human rights abuses at sea.”
