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

Latest statements:

Oral statement by Mr. José Luis Gómez del Prado, President of the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as means of violating human rights and impeding
the rights of peoples to self-determination, 10 March 2008
English and Spanish

Private Security Companies engaging in new forms of mercenary activity, says UN Working Group, 6 November 2007
Also available in French and Spanish

Working Group on the use of mercenaries expresses concern over the killing of Iraqi civilians involving employees of private security company, 25 September 2007

Statement by Mr. José Luis Gómez del Prado, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries to the 4th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on 21 March 2007 (in Spanish) (English unofficial translation)

Press releases:

UNITED NATIONS WORKING GROUP ON USE OF MERCENARIES CONCLUDES VISIT TO CHILE
16 July 2007 - Also available: Spanish

UN WORKING GROUP ON THE USE OF MERCENARIES TO VISIT CHILE
5 July 2007

UN WORKING GROUP ON THE USE OF MERCENARIES CONCLUDES VISIT TO FIJI
18 May 2007

Latest news:

Private Security Companies engaging in new forms of mercenary activity, says UN Working Group, 6 November 2007

Working Group on the use of mercenaries expresses concern over the killing of Iraqi civilians involving employees of private security company, (25 Sept. 2007)

United Nations working group on use of mercenaries concludes visit to Chile (16 July 2007)

 

Introduction

The Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the rights of peoples to self-determination was established in July 2005 pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2005/2. It succeeds the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the use of mercenaries, which had been in existence since 1987 and was serviced by Mr. Enrique Bernales Ballesteros (Peru) from 1987 to 2004 and Ms. Shaista Shameem (Fiji) from 2004 to 2005.

In paragraph 12 of resolution 2005/2, the Commission requested the Working Group:

(a) To elaborate and present concrete proposals on possible new standards, general guidelines or basic principles encouraging the further protection of human rights, in particular the right of peoples to self-determination, while facing current and emergent threats posed by mercenaries or mercenary-related activities;

(b) To seek opinions and contributions from Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations on questions relating to its mandate;

(c) To monitor mercenaries and mercenary-related activities in all their forms and manifestations in different parts of the world;

(d) To study and identify emerging issues, manifestations and trends regarding mercenaries or mercenary-related activities and their impact on human rights, particularly on the right of peoples to self-determination;

(e) To monitor and study the effects of the activities of private companies offering military assistance, consultancy and security services on the international market on the enjoyment of human rights, particularly the right of peoples to self-determination, and to prepare draft international basic principles that encourage respect for human rights on the part of those companies in their activities.

The Working Group is composed of:
Mr. José Luis Gomez del Prado, Chairperson-Rapporteur (Spain),
Ms. Najat Al-Hajjaji (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya),
Ms. Amada Benavides (Colombia),
Mr. Alexander Nikitin (Russian Federation)
Ms. Shaista Shameem ( Fiji).

 

To contact the Working Group:

Contact person	E-mail address
Ms. Maymuchka Lauriston	mlauriston@ohchr.org

Mailing address:

Working Group on the use of mercenaries
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Fax: + 41 22 917 9006
Switzerland