wINyF.r 2015 Statep Ohlioatins~ of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights highlight that "states must take action, separately, and jointly through international cooperation, to protect economic, social and cultural rights of persons within their territories and extraterritorially. .,91 A state's obligation to protect is of a positive nature and requires the state to adopt protective measures to secure the observance of economic and social rights. States have to undertake extraterritorial due diligence ensuring that they comply with human rights obligations concerning food, water, housing, and a decent standard of living, as well as, doing everything possible to avoid causing harm. The obligation to protect is a substantive obligation and a primary obligation relating to the conduct of third parties, such as rebel groups or corporations. States are also obliged to ensure that private actors will not violate economic and social rights outside their borders. Such reading is supported by the general comments and concluding observations of state reports of international human rights bodies. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights advises that "States Parties should also take steps to prevent human rights contraventions abroad by corporations which have their main seat under their jurisdiction, without infringing the sovereignty or diminishing the obligations of the host States under the Covenant., 92 The Committee further note that "States Parties home to companies active abroad shall also encourage such companies to assist, as appropriate, including in situations of armed conflict and natural disaster, host States in building capacities needed to address the corporate responsibility for the observance of economic, social and cultural rights." 93 The same Committee observes concerning the right to health that "States parties have to respect the enjoyment of the right to health in other countries, and to prevent third parties from violating the right in other countries." 94 Similarly, in relation to the right to water, the Committee notes that "International cooperation requires States parties to refrain from actions that interfere, directly or indirectly, with the enjoyment of the right to water in other countries." 95 Further, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child emphasizes that "home States also have obligations, arising under the Convention and the optional Protocols thereto, to respect, protect and fulfil children's rights in the context of businesses' extraterritorial activities and operations provided that there is a reasonable link between the State and the conduct concerned. A reasonable link exists when a business enterprise has its 91The MaastrichtPrincipleson ExtraterritorialObligations of States in the Area of Economic, Social and CulturalRights, principle, 23 (2012) [hereinafter The Maastricht Principles] availableat (further http://www2.lse.ac.uk/humanRights/articlesAndTranscripts/201 1/MaastrichtEcoSoc.pdf defining the obligation in Principles 24 to 27). 92 CESCR, Statement on the obligations of States Parties regarding the corporate sector and economic, socialand culturalrights, E/C. 12/2011/120 May 2011. 93Id. at Para. 6. 94CESCR, General Comment No. 14: The Right to the Highest Attainable Standardof Health, art. 12, E/C.12/2000/4 (Aug. 11, 2000). 95CESCR, General Comment No. 15: The Right to Water, arts. 11 and 12, E/C.12/2002/11 (Jan. 20, 2003); See also CESCR, General Comment 19: The Right to Social Security, art. 9 E/C. 12/GC/19 (Feb. 4, 2008).