Transnational Armed Groups and Implementation of International Humanitarian Law

The existence of non-state actors (NSAs) in new world’s order exposes some opportunities and threats. Humanitarian law is generally based on traditional nation-state divisions and this is acomplicated determination of extraterritorial conflicts with non-state actors. In the absence of such a precise determination, IHL provisions can not properly be implemented while a State fights against a NSA in other State’s territory. Furthermore, regarding their especial status, NSAs are faced with some problems in accomplishment of rights and duties in light of international humanitarian law. Due to the exceedmilitary operations against non‐state armed groups, some scholars and politiciansclaim that international humanitarian law as it stands was developed at another time and is not adequate for the new challenges raised by the contemporary kind of conflicts with transnational armed groups thereby justifying transgression to the international boundaries.