Do Microsoft, Shell, Syrian rebels, Al Qaeda, the United Nations, NATO and other non-state actors have human rights obligations?

That question is at the heart of a new publication edited by Andrew Clapham, Graduate Institute Professor and Director of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.

According to the new publication, the question of whether non-state actors have human rights obligations is ultimately dependent on what we mean when we speak of human rights and what entities we consider to be non-state actors.

Professor Clapham provides the introduction and context for the book and has compiled a selection of important contributions from a wide range of scholars from over the past two decades. The selection includes authors arguing both for and against an application of human rights law to non-state actors. The readings represent the backbone of the research seminar Professor Clapham has been running for students of the Graduate Institute over the last three years.

The book is divided into sections, starting  with a general overview, and then turning to focus on the roles and impact of national legal orders, international organisations, corporations, and rebel groups.  

This volume is essential reading for anyone interested in the fast-moving developments related to the ways human rights law now applies to non-state actors.

Find out more about “Human Rights and Non-State Actors”.

Professor Andrew Clapham is the author of “Brierly’s Law of Nations: An Introduction to the Role of International Law in International Relations” 7th edition, “Human Rights Obligations of Non-State Actors”, and “Human Rights: A Very Short Introduction”.