Answer:
It is increasingly recognized that human rights law has to address the challenge posed by non-state actors/institutions. This chapter starts with a reflection on how the term 'non-state actor' is used and why it is appropriate to look at the impact of non-state actors on the enjoyment of human rights. It then recalls the 'positive obligations' of states to protect those within their jurisdiction from abuses by non-state actors and how states provide for redress at the national level. In the next part, it considers the human rights obligations of different non-state actors: international organizations, corporations, and armed non-state entities. The chapter argues that we should meet the following challenges: extending and translating certain norms so that they clearly denote the obligations of non-state actors; creating and adapting specific institutions to ensure greater accountability for the activities of non-state actors/institutions; and adjusting our assumptions about who are the duty-bearers in the human rights regime.
