Mapping Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Responsibilities in International Human Rights Law

In recent years, there has been increasing demands for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to be held accountable for human rights abuses. Despite this, the UN and human rights literature have largely overlooked the human rights responsibilities of NGOs. There is currently no framework at the UN level outlining these responsibilities. Additionally, human rights scholars have primarily focused on holding states and other non-state actors accountable, such as corporations and terrorist groups. This paper aims to fill this gap by delineating the human rights responsibilities of NGOs based on international human rights law. It argues that existing international human rights law already imposes responsibilities on NGOs, covering areas such as right to health and human trafficking. Furthermore, it suggests that the existing human rights framework, particularly the business and human rights law designed for corporations, is versatile enough to be adapted to encompass NGO accountability, thus bridging regulatory and accountability gaps at the international level

Human rights · International human rights law · International law · Environmental law and policy · Human Rights and Development · International Law and Human Rights