The UN Working Group on Mercenaries (UNWG-M) is requesting inputs to the working group’s annual report to the Human Rights Council. This Zoom meeting with the PSC committee members and other interested parties to discuss this report and solicit input to it.

This year’s report is on Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) in Humanitarian Action. It will look at current trends, practices, and human rights impacts of contracting with PMSCs, along with regulations, oversight and accountability mechanisms. This is a wonderful opportunity for private security service providers and organizations that contract for their services to have a positive impact on the UNWG-M report.

Humanitarian organizations contract with some excellent PMSCs, those committed to the highest standards of performance in all regards. Unfortunately, humanitarian organizations also contract with some disreputable actors, often because of price being the overriding factor or because their security managers don’t know the business. We need to be able to clearly distinguish the one from the other. This includes making the argument that lowest price can possibly lead to a much higher cost.

Specific information requested includes:

• The types of services contracted.
• Reasons for contracting these services.
• Due diligence and relationships with international and non-governmental humanitarian organizations.

The working Group is also asking for information about regulatory frameworks (including the use of standards) and the application of the Law of Armed Conflict and Human Rights Law to PMSC activity.

The full list can be found here:
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Mercenaries/WGMercenaries/Pages/report-pmsc-humanitarian-action-2021.aspx

The PSC Committee meeting will discuss the purpose of the report and the specific information being requested. Information submitted by our members will be consolidated into a single document for submission to the UN on behalf of ISOA. This method will enable covering as many of the UNWG-M’s questions as possible, deconflict responses and avoid “naming names” to the degree that participants wish to do that. Individual members will remain at liberty to provide individual responses to the UNWG-M under their own corporate names.

Submissions are due to the UNWG-M by March 9.