New partnership sees RightShip back Human Rights at Sea’s global mission to end human rights abuses committed around the world’s oceans 

RightShip, the world’s leading maritime risk due diligence and environmental assessment organisation, and the independent civil society charity, Human Rights at Sea, have signed a new long-term partnership agreement to help improve seafarer welfare, the organisations have announced today.  

Under the agreement, RightShip and Human Rights at Sea will partner to continuously raise awareness of implementation and accountability of human rights provisions throughout the maritime environment with local, national and international stakeholders and regulators, and the maritime industry as a whole.  

Human Rights at Sea was established in order to engage stakeholders and regulators in the improvement of human rights policies, law and enforcement globally, particularly where existing provisions are being ignored, are currently absent or are being abused. Through their global research and advocacy work raising awareness of human rights abuses at sea, they aim to deliver positive change through innovative legal and policy development on a collaborative basis.  

Human Rights at Sea currently works with numerous partner charities, government departments and non-governmental organisations. With today’s announcement, RightShip becomes the first commercial maritime industry organisation to officially engage with Human Rights at Sea, bringing the organisation’s substantial safety, environmental and seafarer risk management expertise to the forefront of the partnership.  

Commenting on this new partnership, Martin Crawford-Brunt, CEO, RightShip said: “We are thrilled to announce this new partnership with Human Rights at Sea. RightShip’s mission is to support the safety, security and welfare of seafarers in particular given the vital role they play in the facilitation of global trade. There is much to be done to improve seafarer welfare, both during this pandemic and beyond. We are excited to work closely with the excellent and passionate team at Human Rights at Sea to make sure these important issues are front and centre in the minds of regulators and the industry.” 

David Hammond Esq, CEO of Human Rights at Sea, added: “Human Rights at Sea is delighted to be aligning with the emerging work and transparent focus being undertaken by RightShip in the field of human rights relating to maritime supply chains and in particular industry management and crew awareness, education and standards not just in the global maritime industry, but throughout the wider maritime environment.” 

In 2019, Human Rights at Sea launched the first version of the ‘Geneva Declaration of Human Rights at Sea’, which is currently focusing on State-level engagement and eventual ratification within the United Nations system. Once finalised, Human Rights at Sea and RightShip will mobilise a concerted international effort to end human rights abuses on our oceans through reference to, and engagement with, the four fundamental principles of the Declaration. Those principles being that human rights apply at sea to exactly the same degree and extent that they do on land; that all persons at sea, without any distinction, enjoy human rights; that there are no maritime-specific rules allowing derogation from human rights standards; and that all human rights established under treaty and customary international law must be respected at sea.