Duty bearers are people/groups/organizations who have an obligation or responsibility to respect, promote and realize human rights, and to abstain from human rights violations. The term is most commonly used to refer to State actors (like the government), but non-State actors can also be considered duty bearers. For example, armed rebel groups are also considered duty-bearers under international law because they have an obligation to refrain from human rights violations. Depending on the context, individuals (e.g. parents), local organizations, private companies, aid donors and international institutions can also be duty-bearers.