HRAS Participates in Naples Conference

Human Rights at Sea’s former intern and now Advisor, Elizabeth Mavropoulou, participated on behalf of the charity and delivered during the second Summer School of the Centre of Excellence Jean Monet (JMCE) for the Rights of Migrants’ in the Mediterranean, in Naples on the 21st of June, a presentation to the students and participants on the Human Rights at Sea’s Vision on migrants’ and refugees rights in the Mediterranean.

Human Rights at Sea has been a stakeholder to the summer school and the Jean Monet Centre of Excellence for the past two years. The engagement was part of the Charity’s continuous work and advocacy on the topic of migrants’ rights in the Mediterranean.

This year’s summer school and final international conference consisted of academics, practitioners, policymakers and representatives of international and non-governmental organizations that presented their own perspective and work to the Summer School’s participants which ended with a very stimulating and thought provoking debate between the participants and the speakers along with a beautiful Gala diner overlooking the Gulf of Naples.

Among the participants of the final international conference was Elspeth Guild from the Queen Mary University of London, Stephane Jacquemet, UNHCR’s Regional Representative for Southern Europe, Markus Jaeger from Frontex and the Council of Europe, Elena Santiemma Head of Policy and Lobby Unit of Amnesty International Italy, Alessio D Angelo from Middlesex University, Anna Liguori from University of Naples L’Orientale, Dr Christopher Soler from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malta, as well as international law and human rights practitioner Saccucci Andrea (Saccucci Andrea & Partners and Doughty Street Chambers), Gianicola Forte maritime lawyer of Studio Lauro law firm, Emilio de Capitani from Fundamental Rights European Experts Group and Aygun Hasan, Political Advisor to NATO.

The Conference ended with the students’ presentations and recommendations on the Charter of Naples, a bilingual policy oriented document aimed to suggest to national and European policy-makers the way forward to deal with migrations in the Mediterranean Sea.

It was another positive experience for Human Rights at Sea and example of our ongoing work on migrants’ and refugees rights in the Mediterranean.