On Wednesday 14 June 2023, an online briefing in close co-operation with the Ukrainian International Law Association was held with State, legal, academic and local attendees from across Ukraine and the United Kingdom to discuss development of the Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea.

Led by Olga Butkevych, President of the Ukrainian Association of International Law and David Hammond, CEO, Human Rights at Sea, the 90-minute introductory session focused on an introduction to the Declaration with interventions by both Ukrainian and Declaration drafters subject matter experts.

This included Professor Irini Papanicolopulu, Professor of International Law at SOAS University of London, Professor Steven Haines, Professor of Public International Law in the University of Greenwich, Olga Pereverzeva, PhD, associate professor at KNTEU, senior fellow at Koretskіy Institute of State and Law of National Academy of Science of Ukraine.

The legal briefing was aimed at initial understanding as to why the Declaration is needed in Ukraine, and how it could benefit human rights development for maritime stakeholders. 

The session discussed the issues of international law in the developing field of human rights at sea, the advantages and challenges of the Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea, and the development of international law in the field of human rights at sea in Ukraine.

CEO, David Hammond said: “Despite the numerous challenges faced in the development of new international soft-law instruments initiated by civil society, the strong engagement by Ukrainian supporters shows impressive leadership especially during such testing times for democracy and the rule of law in Ukraine.”

President of the Ukrainian Association of International Law, Olga Butkevych said: “In today’s homocentric international law human rights are such values. There is no branch or institute of international law that is not imbued with the idea of protecting human rights. Therefore, the creation of a doctrinal draft codification, the ‘Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea’, is a unique event. This document covers an important area of human rights protection, namely the maritime domain.”

Member of The Ukrainian Parliament, Serhii Hryvko said: “The Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea is an important soft law document that will enable Ukraine to be one of the first countries to develop legal instruments to support of post-war reparations for loss of State property and infrastructure in coastal areas of the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, as well as injuries and deaths of Ukrainian and supporting foreign citizens in the maritime environment. You can rely on my support in the development of ‘Geneva Declaration of Human Rights at Sea’.

Next steps

The process of national socialisation continues within Ukraine across key implementing stakeholders, while concurrent wider ongoing and discreet diplomatic interventions with supporting States is maintained.