SHAISTA SHAMEEM APPOINTED SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE USE OF MERCENARIES

20 August 2004

United Nations Commission on Human Rights Chairman Mike Smith has appointed Shaista Shameem (Fiji) as Special Rapporteur on the use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of people to self-determination. The appointment was made on 13 July 2004 in consultation with representatives of the different regional groups and members of the Bureau of the sixtieth session of the Commission on Human Rights.

Ms. Shameem holds a Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Waikato and an LLM from the University of Auckland, and currently serves as the Director of the Fiji Human Rights Commission. She has worked extensively as a journalist in her country, as a Sociology lecturer at the University of Waikato and as a Solicitor and Barrister, and has been a fervent activist in the South Pacific region on human rights.

The Special Rapporteur on the use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of people to self-determination is mandated to consult with States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations; to pay particular attention to the impact of the activities of private companies offering military assistance, consultancy and security services on the international market on the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination; and to report to the UN Commission on Human Rights and General Assembly each year.

Ms. Shameem’s predecessor as Special Rapporteur, Mr. Enrique Bernales Ballesteros, served as Special Rapporteur from the creation of the mandate in 1987 to July 2004. His proposal for a new legal definition of mercenary is the subject of consultation among Governments.