Mercenaries: UN experts focus on new international Convention

GENEVA (30 November 2009) – The United Nations Working Group* on the use of mercenaries is holding its eighth session at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, from 30 November to 4 December 2009, focusing on the ongoing work for the elaboration of a possible new international Convention on the regulation of activities of Private Military and Security Companies.

 

During this session, the Working Group will also review recent information concerning mercenary activities and their impact on human rights.

 

The Working Group on the use of mercenaries will report on the progress achieved in the elaboration of the draft for a possible Convention to the fifteenth session of the Human Rights Council in September 2010.

 

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