UN EXPERT GROUP CONSIDERS NEW LEGAL INSTRUMENTS FOR REGULATION OF PRIVATE MILITARY AND SECURITY COMPANIES

27 March 2009


GENEVA – The UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries, which is currently engaged in the elaboration of new legal instruments for the regulation of activities of private military and security companies, will hold its sixth session at the United Nations in Geneva from 30 March to 3 April 2009. Earlier this week the Human Rights Council requested the Working Group to consult with a wide range of actors on the content and scope of possible legal instruments. It also asked the Working Group to share possible elements for a draft convention with Member States, requesting their input on its content and scope.

At its meeting, the Working Group will hold discussions with Member States, civil society, including NGOs and academics, and representatives of Private Military/Security Companies. This session will also be an occasion for it to discuss its future consultations in Africa, Asia and Europe where the UN experts will seek to gain a regional perspective about the current practices related to mercenaries and private military and security companies registered, operating or recruiting personnel in the region. The Working Group will also be preparing upcoming country visits, including to the United States at the invitation of the Government.

The Working Group will continue to monitor the phenomenon of mercenaries and Private Military/Security Companies, and will hold its seventh session in New York from 27 to 31 July 2009.
The Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination was established in 2005 by the Commission on Human Rights.

The Working Group is composed of five independent experts serving in their personal capacities, and headed by its Chairperson-Rapporteur, Mr. Alexander Nikitin (Russian Federation). The other Working Group experts are: Ms. Amada Benavides de Pérez (Colombia), José Luis Gómez del Prado (Spain), Ms. Najat al-Hajjaji (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) and Ms. Shaista Shameem (Fiji).


For more information on the Working Group, please contact Ms Julie Tétard on +41 22 917 9603, or consult the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/mercenaries/index.htm