Human rights violations by non-state actors
a complete account of rights
Keywords:
human rights, interest-based theories of rights, globalization, state obligations, human rights violationsAbstract
In this work I criticize the traditional version of the concept of “human rights”. This view relies on the State-centric thesis which sustains that what makes this concept special is that (i) only states are bound by human rights obligations, and (ii) that only states can violate them (either acting directly or indirectly by failing on its duties to protect and guarantee them). I defend an alternative account based on the interest theory of rights put forward by Raz, together with the successive waves of duties theory of Jeremy Waldron (normatively). Grounded on these views I develop a critical reading of the present situation –socially, politically and economically– in order to propose a complete theory of human rights which claims that (i) there are other non-state actors who have obligations of human rights properly, and (ii) that they can effectively violate human rights (and do violate them in practice).
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