Bergen advocating for an equitable blue economy

The Ocean and Human Rights Platform is a collaborative endeavour between Intitute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) and the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights. The center will work to ensure decent working conditions in ocean industries, sustainable livelihoods in coastal communities, and the right to a healthy ocean. The work will adress critical issues such as forced labor, environmental degradation, and social inequities in ocean-related sectors.

The current focus is on the human rights issues associated with shipping and shipyards, and with costal wind energy., ports and aquaculture and fishing. 

This project underscores the global need to integrate human rights into maritime governance, positioning the One Ocean City of Bergen a leader in addressing these pressing challenges. Photo: Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem.  

Joint effort

The plan for future work is to involve various stakeholders to strengthen cooperation between industry, academia, and civil society. By pooling knowledge and resources, the center can contribute to better decision-making and innovation across sectors.

- With support from industry, academia, and civil society, it will spearhead initiatives to protect vulnerable communities and foster sustainable practices worldwide, said Executive Director at The Rafto Foundation, Jostein Hole Kobbeltvedt as the project was launched during the One Ocean Week 2025.

With a long maritime history, Greater Bergen is the perfect host for this initiative. The city’s collaborative spirit and innovative approach to sustainability ensure the center will become a driving force for ethical transformation in ocean-based economies.

Vestland County Municipality has already contributed funding to the project, and several key actors from the ocean industries, such as the Bergen Shipowners' Association, NCE Seafood Innovation, and PWC, support the initiative.

The Rafto Foundation is a non-profit and non-partisan organization was established in Bergen 1987. The organization is dedicated to the global promition of human rights,  in memory of  professor Thorolf Rafto (1922-1986).  

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The Rafto Foundation is based at the Rafto House in Bergen, were Amnesty International has their local offices. The Rafto House is part of the Human Rights House Network. Photo: The Rafto Foundation.