Do non-state actors have obligations under international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law?
The rules of international humanitarian law are binding on both states that have ratified the relevant treaties and on non-state actors (rebel and other armed groups) in a non-international armed conflict. It is obvious that international humanitarian law would be rendered meaningless unless it was applicable to all the parties to an internal armed conflict. Individuals belonging to armed groups – as well as government officials – can be held internationally criminally responsible for war crimes committed in non-international armed conflict. Human rights law is, primarily, designed to protect individuals from state abuse and is generally not considered to bind non-state actors. There is, however, a growing body of opinion according to which non-state actors – particularly if they exercise government-like functions in a given territory – may also be expected to respect human rights. Under international refugee law and individual may be recognized as a refugee on the ground that s/he has
