Abbreviations
| ACHR | African Convention on Human Rights |
| ATT | Arms Trade Treaty |
| CCPR | Convention on Civil and Political Rights |
| CFR | EU Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union |
| CPCR | Civilian Persons in Times of War |
| DTA | Declaration of Territorial Asylum |
| ECHR | European Court of Human Rights |
| ECRE | European Councils on Refugees and Exiles |
| EEZ | Exclusive Economic Zone |
| EXCOM | Executive Committee |
| FAL | Facilitation Committee |
| GTPRS | Guidelines on the Treatment of Persons Rescued at Sea |
| HCR | United Nations Human Rights Committee |
| ICCPR | International Convention on Civil and Political Rights |
| ILC | International Law Commission |
| IMO | International Maritime Organization |
| IOM | International Organization for Migration |
| ITLOS | International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea |
| LOSC | Law of the Sea Convention |
| MSC | Maritime Safety Committee |
| OAU | Organization of African Unity |
| OHCHR | United Nations Office of the High Commission for Human Rights |
| RCC | Rescue Coordination Centres |
| SAR | Safety and Rescue |
| SCIP | Sub coin on International Protection |
| SOLAS | International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea |
| UDHR | Universal Declaration of Human Rights |
| UNCLOS | United Nations 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea |
| UNHCR | United Nations High Commission for Refugees |
| UNODC | United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime |