Life at Sea: Rescue and Responsibility

Human Rights Law Discussion Group Seminar Series

Life at Sea: Rescue and Responsibility

Ángeles Jiménez García-Carriazo (Postdoctoral Researcher at the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in Migration and Human Rights at Europe’s External Borders, University of Cádiz) and María de los Ángeles Bellido Lora (PhD Candidate at the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in Migration and Human Rights at Europe’s External Borders, University of Cádiz)

The seminar starts at 14.15 PM, respecting the academic quarter, and involves 20-30 minutes of presentation, followed by approx. 30 minutes of discussion.

For people outside the Faculty of Law at Lund University who wish to participate either on site or digitally please register via email.

Abstract:
Search and Rescue (SAR) at sea constitutes one of the clearest expressions of the obligation to protect human life under international law. Rooted in longstanding maritime custom and codified in instruments such as the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR), the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the duty to render assistance applies irrespective of nationality, status, or circumstance.

This presentation examines the legal framework governing SAR operations alongside its practical implementation in contemporary contexts. Particular attention is given to recurring legal challenges, including delays in disembarkation, disputes over responsibility-sharing, and the determination of a “place of safety”. Through selected casestudies from the Mediterranean, the discussion examines tensions between SAR obligations and state practices related to migration control and border enforcement. These examples highlight how SAR obligations are implemented, adapted, or restricted in operational settings, raising questions of compliance, allocation of responsibility, and accountability, in light of competing priorities between the protection of life at sea and migration management. The analysis ultimately underscores the gap between established legal principles and operational realities, calling for greater clarity, cooperation, and consistency in the application of SAR obligations to ensure the effective protection of life at sea.

Speakers’ bio
Dr Ángeles Jiménez is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Cadiz, Legal Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain, and a member of the Spanish Delegation to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. Prior to joining the University of Cadiz, she was a Lecturer at the IMO International Maritime Law Institute. She has published a monograph on the extended continental shelf and numerous chapters in books and articles in peer-reviewed journals in different areas of the law of the sea as well as migration issues. She is the director of the SEA-EU Observatory of Migrations and Human Rights of the European University of the Seas.

Ms Marian Bellido Lora is a PhD Candidate at the University of Cádiz where she also teaches Public International Law and International Relations. She holds a Double Degree in Law and Business Administration from the University of Cádiz, a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Migrations from the University of Cádiz, and a Master’s Degree in International Law from the University of Malta. She is a Research Member of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in Migration and Human Rights at Europe’s External Borders and the SEA-EU Observatory for Migration and Human Rights, and has participated in several research projects, including the COST Action BlueRights (CA23103). Her research focuses on migration studies and the Law of the Sea, particularly search and rescue operations at sea. Her interests also include human rights, Spanish-Moroccan relations, and the Western Sahara conflict.

Faculty members, graduate students and all interested in interdisciplinary research involving law are most welcome!
Convenors: Chris Cowan, Amanda Kron, Björg Valgeirsdóttir, Pablo Pastor Vidal
Senior Members: Dr Daria Davitti, Dr Zvezda Vankova, Dr Sara Arapiles

The Human Rights Law Discussion Group is kindly funded by the European Studies at Lund University and supported by ERC Starting Grant project “Refugee Finance: Histories, Frameworks, Practices (REF-FIN)” and by VR project “Refugee protection or cherry picking? Assessing new admission policies for refugees in Europe” (ARISE)