ABSTRACT
The evolution of the notion of Armed Non-State Actors (ANSAs) in international humanitarian law examines, before turning the discourse to other characteristics. The latest development in treaty law relevant to ANSAs came from the area of international criminal law. One of the defining characteristics of the state is its population. Due to the principle of self-determination, the state and its government are presumed to be representative of this population. International organizations stand out at large because they have a full legal personality within their area of competence. The quantitative and qualitative decrease of ANSA characteristics, from the objective criteria of belligerency recognition to the requirement that the armed group is organized, has appeared to expand in more recent practice. The possibility that an unorganized ANSA would participate in a non-international armed conflict should be dismissed because the entity's accountability goes hand in hand with its capability to uphold the relevant standards.
