Emerging Trend in Applying International Human Rights Law to Armed Non-State Actors Beyond the State-Centric System

Abstract

This article seriously challenges the state-centric view of human rights by breaking the traditional perception of international human rights regime that applies only to State actors. This article shows the development of the scholarly writings and the practice of international bodies and organizations to include armed non-state actors in the human rights regime. Therefore, this article discuss the necessity in considering the capacity of de facto regimes of armed non-state actors to incur human rights obligations in order to protect individuals and groups, and regulate their daily lives in the control areas of these armed non-state actors. The findings of this article show the capacity of armed non-state actors for violating human rights as well as bearing human rights obligations in non-international armed conflicts.