I. Introduction. d. Regional consultations

Summary

CONTENTS

Paragraphs Page

I. Introduction

 

II. Activities

a. Communications

b. Press releases

c. Visits

d. Regional consultations

 

III. Progress towards the elaboration of a possible new draft convention on private military and security companies

a. Context and purpose

b. Scope of application

c. Content

d. Comments from Member States and non-governmental entities

i) Process

ii) General comments

iii) Scope of the Convention

iv) Domestic implementation

v) Inherent State functions

vi) International oversight and monitoring body

 

IV. Conclusions and recommendations

 

I. Introduction

 

1. In the present report, 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 describes the activities it has undertaken since it last reported to the Human Rights Council in March 2009. The report focuses in particular on the progress achieved in the elaboration of a possible draft convention on private military and security companies (PMSCs). It takes into consideration communications sent between 16 December 2008 and 18 April 2010.

 

2. The report is submitted pursuant to resolution 2005/2 of the Commission on Human Rights establishing the mandate of the Working Group and resolution 7/21 of 28 March 2008 extending the mandate of the Working Group.

 

3. The Working Group is composed of five independent experts serving in their personal capacities: Mr. José Luis Gómez del Prado (Spain), Ms. Shaista Shameem (Fiji), Ms. Amada Benavides de Pérez (Colombia), Mr. Alexander Nikitin (Russian Federation) and Ms. Najat al-Hajjaji (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya). Ms Shaista Shameem assumed the chairmanship of the group from April 2009 to April 2010. In April 2010, the Working Group decided to hold a three-months rotating chairmanship for the last year of their mandate.