The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law

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Does the Control of Territory by Armed Non-State Actors Have an Impact on the Applicability of Human Rights and Other Norms in Armed Conflict?

In several countries, there is a plurality of armed non-state actors ostensibly exercising control in varied forms, in different contemporary armed conflicts. As revealed in places like Eastern Ukraine, Syria, and Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo – for example, such control, naturally, has an impact on the lives and rights of individuals in these territories. What does control mean, and how does it influence the nature of legal obligations for these entities?

In this talk, Joshua Niyo discussed with panelists Kate Mackintosh, Richard Steinberg and Aslı Bâli, the several manifestations of control of territory by armed non-state actors in armed conflict, including in Europe, in the Middle East, and in Africa – and the legal implications for these actors.