D. Regional consultations

22. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 62/145 and Human Rights Council resolution 7/21, the Working Group held its last three regional consultations during the time period covered in this report.

23. After the first consultation for Latin America and the Caribbean held in Panama in December 2007[2] and the second in Moscow for Eastern Europe and Central Asia[3] held in October 2008, the Working Group held regional consultations in Bangkok in October 2009 for Asia and the Pacific, in Addis Ababa in March 2010 for Africa and in Geneva in April 2010 for the Western European and Others Groups. Reports on each of these consultations are available as addenda.

24. Participants at the consultation for Asia and the Pacific[4] noted that PMSCs were on the rise and active worldwide and that the legal framework applicable to these groups needed to be clarified and further strengthened. Participants exchanged views on their national experience with PMSCs, with the representative of Afghanistan and Fiji giving comprehensive presentations on the situation of PMSCs in their respective countries. The Working Group introduced elements of its proposed draft convention on PMSCs for discussion.

25. The consultation in Addis Ababa[5] was attended by representatives of over 20 countries from Africa. Participants discussed recent mercenary activities on the continent and its impact on human rights as well as the growing activities of PMSCs in Africa. The Working Group presented in some details the elements of the draft convention and States expressed strong support for the work done by the Working Group on the elaboration of this text.

26. The last consultation[6] was held in Geneva with the representatives of Western European and Others Group (WEOG). The discussion focused on initiatives taken at the national and regional level by Western States as well as on elements for a possible new draft Convention as circulated by the Group to all Member States early January 2010. The Group expressed its appreciation for the constructive comments on the document. While the Group noted reservations of the EU and others with regard to a possible new convention on the issue, it underlined the shared goal of a more effective regulation of the private security industry to ensure protection of individuals from human rights violations and ensure that when they occur, those responsible are held accountable and that victims have access to effective remedies.