The What, Who and How of Compliance and Restraint by Non-State Armed Groups: A Snapshot of Behavioural Variation

27 October 2025
Authors: Anastasia Shesterinina, Ezequiel Heffes, Anki Sjöberg and Konstantina Karagkouni
Beyond Compliance Paper Series No.1

The Beyond Compliance Consortium is excited to share the No.1 issue of our new Beyond Compliance Paper Series. The new report “The What, Who and How of Compliance and Restraint by Non-State Armed Groups: A Snapshot of Behavioural Variation” synthesises current evidence on compliance and restraint by armed actors, moving beyond a focus on international humanitarian law (IHL) to include international human rights law (IHRL) and broader forms of restraint from violence and abuse. 

In the report, we concentrate on non-international armed conflicts (NIACs), the most prevalent form of contemporary armed conflict, and non-State armed groups (NSAGs), whose proliferation has had detrimental effects on conflict-affected populations. We use compliance to mean conformity with applicable legal obligations, and restraint to denote measurable reductions in harm – achieved either by refraining from prohibited acts or by adopting measures such as orders, training and disciplinary actions. 

Several key takeaways are presented based on how NSAGs operate in NIACs. The report concludes with recommendations for international actors seeking to engage with NSAGs on humanitarian matters. Findings will inform and be tested in subsequent outputs of the Beyond Compliance Consortium.