RESINTORG · Responsibility of International Organisations for Human Rights Violations

States increasingly transfer or delegate powers on international organisations, which, in turn, exercise ever more public authority and act in some instances even as a substitute for a State. However, the continuous transfer of powers from States to international organisations has not been followed by the creation of a corresponding concept of responsibility for international organisations. At present, their exercise of public authority lacks some of the most essential control mechanisms, in particular in the field of human rights. Human rights violations may occur, inter alia, during their military or peace-keeping operations, or under their administrative authority over certain territories. The research therefore aims to develop a system of responsibility of international organisations for human rights violations, which would enable a review of their actions and sanction any misconduct, similar to the system of checks and balances established in democratic states. In order to develop such a system, the research will a) identify which human rights norms are binding on international organisations and determine their exact content and scope of application