promote and fulfil the right to life. States must take steps both to prevent arbitrary deprivations of life and to conduct prompt, impartial, thorough and transparent investigations into any such deprivations that may have occurred, holding those responsible to account and providing for an effective remedy and reparation for the victim or victims, including, where appropriate, their immediate family and dependents. States are responsible for violations of this right by all their organs (executive, legislative and judicial), and other public or governmental authorities, at all levels (national, regional or local). Derogation from the right to life is not permissible in a time of emergency, including a situation of armed conflict, or in response to threats such as terrorism. (8) Where a State or its agent has attempted unlawfully to kill a person, but that person survives, where it has unlawfully threatened the life of a person, or where it has forcibly caused a person to disappear and that person’s fate remains unknown, in addition to the violation of other rights, a violation of the right to life has occurred. (9) A State can be held responsible for killings by non-State actors if it approves, supports or acquiesces in those acts or if it fails to exercise due diligence to prevent such killings or to ensure proper investigation and accountability. (10) Building blocks of a proper State system for the protection of the right to life will include the enactment of appropriate domestic laws that protect the right to life and define any limitations on the right in accordance with international standards, a law enforcement system with the necessary equipment and training, and a competent, independent and impartial judiciary and legal profession based on the rule of law. States should continuously update their laws and practices to comply with international standards. States should take steps to raise awareness of the human rights implications of the applicable legal framework through professional training and other measures. (11) As part of their broader duty to secure the conditions for dignified life, States have a particular responsibility to protect the human rights, including the right to life, of individuals or groups who are frequently targeted or particularly at risk, 9