A/HRC/35/23/Add.2 20. States have an essential role to play in curbing levels of violence and reducing killings and attacks to life and personal security. Not only must they ensure that their agents refrain from endangering life when performing their duties, they should also protect from harm by non-State actors. This obligation includes taking all appropriate measures to prevent the deprivation of life by non-State actors, as well as to investigate, prosecute and punish non-State actors that have deprived others of their life. 21. Since its establishment, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions has focused on a variety of situations that have involved or included killings by non-State actors and has offered valuable recommendations to address or prevent them. These situations have been brought to fore in reports or observations covering issues such as, but not limited to, inter-communal killings, killings by vigilante, militias and mob justice, killings by bandits, killings by corporations, social cleansing killings, honor killings, witchcraft killings, “femicide,” gender-based violence by vigilante groups, killings on the basis of gender or sexual identity, as well as killings or attacks in the context of armed conflicts. 22. The Special Rapporteur plans to build on the work of her predecessors and, where necessary, expand on this to reflect the changing nature of violations of the right to life. In so doing, she will seek to survey and identify good practices with regard to States’ responsibilities to protect against killings by non-State actors, as well as further explore the direct human rights responsibilities of non-State actors, including, but not limited to, situations of armed conflict. Number of communications by alleged violation Attacks or killings 50 Death penalty safeguards 31 Excessive use of force 25 Death threats 21 Legislation 6 Impunity 5 Death in custody Armed conflicts 1 22