L'obbligo internazionale del comandante di soccorrere i naufraghi e il diritto ad un porto di rifugio

This article analyses the legal foundation of a shipmaster’s conduct who enters a port without the authorization of the port authorities to disembark persons rescued at sea. On the one hand it observes that a shipmaster’s obligation to rescue persons in danger at sea exists under both treaty and customary law and includes the obligation to take survivors to a place of safety. On the other hand this does not imply the right of a shipmaster to enter a port without the consent of the port authorities in order to comply with his/her rescue obligation. Nevertheless, the customary rule that sets forth for coastal States an obligation to grant refuge to ships in distress may come into reckoning. No exception to this rule has been established with regard to vessels carrying migrants. Therefore, when the States involved in a search and rescue operation do not provide for a place of safety for the shipmaster of a rescue vessel, and the ship is in distress, the shipmaster’s access to a port of refuge is in accordance with international law irrespective of consent by port authorities. SOMMARIO: 1. Introduzione. − 2. Gli obblighi di fornire rifugio e soccorso prima del XX secolo. − 3. Gli obblighi di fornire rifugio e soccorso nel XX e nel XXI secolo. — 4. L’obbligo di soccorso a carico del comandante nei trattati internazionali. — 4.1. Può un trattato creare obblighi a carico di individui? — 5. Trattati che impongono obblighi in materia di ricerca e di soccorso solo per gli Stati. — 6. Obbligo di soccorso a carico del comandante e diritto consuetudinario. — 7. Il contenuto dell’obbligo di soccorso del comandante: a) nel diritto consuetudinario. — 8. Segue: b) nel diritto pattizio. — 9. Considerazioni conclusive.