OANTA, G.A. (coord.), El Derecho del mar y las personas y grupos vulnerables, Bosch Editor, Barcelona, 2018

Abstract

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is undoubtedly the cornerstone of the Law of the Sea; however the international set of rules related to the oceans and seas has increased significantly addressing specific issues that are not regulated by UNCLOS. The evolution of the international legal marine and maritime framework also includes that more attention has been paid to new actors such as human beings by regulating both rights and obligations of people at sea sensu lato. While UNCLOS’s focus lies on States and establishes their competencies and responsibilities in the different maritime zones, a set of rules from different fields of law has emerged dealing with situations of individuals in a maritime context that are not specifically covered by UNCLOS. While there are regulations related to human activities at sea in a broader sense, attention also has been drawn to people and communities who are in a vulnerable situation within a maritime context, i.e. people facing obstacles that result in human rights violations. This collective work addresses exactly these kinds of situations analyzing the legal framework and/or the lack of existing rules protecting people and communities in specific maritime contexts.