There is no denying that human rights NGOs play an increasingly significant role at the international scene, their contributions to the development of human rights docket (treaties, principles and standards) and active participation in the implementation of the bill of rights at national levels...

The conduct of non-state actors can give rise to human rights violations to a greater extent than one would expect. Human rights law, interpreted in the light of general international law, applies to every private actor that is endowed with state power in any form. It applies to private entities...

To date, multinational corporations have had no direct human rights obligations under international law. Nonetheless, international lawyers can no longer ignore the increasing role of non-state actors in international society. This chapter first explores the factual and normative dimensions of...