The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed on 10 December, 1948, in order to offer a common standard of achievements in the context of fundamental human rights all peoples and all nations of the world. Of the rights universally recognized in the Declaration, the right to life presented a special significance in response to the atrocities and barbarous acts which preceded its proclamation: the right to life is irreversible and essential to the enjoyment of any other rights. In addition to the Universal Declaration, the right to life is stipulated in several multilateral treaties that confirm the relevance of the right to life for the entire international community. And even though none of these treaties includes the right to life at sea, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea sets out the duty to rescue people in distress at sea. In light of the persistent migratory crisis in the Mediterranean, as well as of the tendency to manage migration through activities of securitization, this paper aims to share some reflections on the current meaning of the obligations undertaken by the majority of States in the last 70 years in relation to the right to life.
The Right to Life at Sea Seventy Years after the Proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Giorgia Bevilacqua
2019
Abstract
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed on 10 December, 1948, in order to offer a common standard of achievements in the context of fundamental human rights all peoples and all nations of the world. Of the rights universally recognized in the Declaration, the right to life presented a special significance in response to the atrocities and barbarous acts which preceded its proclamation: the right to life is irreversible and essential to the enjoyment of any other rights. In addition to the Universal Declaration, the right to life is stipulated in several multilateral treaties that confirm the relevance of the right to life for the entire international community. And even though none of these treaties includes the right to life at sea, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea sets out the duty to rescue people in distress at sea. In light of the persistent migratory crisis in the Mediterranean, as well as of the tendency to manage migration through activities of securitization, this paper aims to share some reflections on the current meaning of the obligations undertaken by the majority of States in the last 70 years in relation to the right to life.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
