Abstract
It is increasingly recognized that human rights law has to address the challenge posed by non-state actors. This chapter starts with a reflection on how the term ‘non-state actor’ is used and why it is appropriate to look at the contemporary 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 and elsewhere 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 actors.
