On September 15, 2010, Human Rights Advocates, with support from the International Peace Bureau hosted the following panel.  Please click on the links to download speeches and documents referenced by our distinguished panelists.

PRIVATE MILITARY AND SECURITY COMPANIES

BUILDING ACCOUNTABILITY AND OVERSIGHT

Globalization has increasingly expanded opportunities for growth of transnational business sectors.  Trends towards outsourcing government functions to the private sector have led to the blossoming of military and security functions being performed by private firms.  Under international human rights law, private military and security companies (PMSCs) have managed to escape many of the terms of governance.

This parallel panel will explore the growth of this industry, and consider national, international and multilateral stakeholder responses to providing accountability and oversight over PMSCs.  Join us for an enriching dialogue.

September 15, 2010

11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Room XI

Palais de Nations

HOSTED BY HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES
AND THE INTERNATIONAL PEACE BUREAU

For more information, contact Amol Mehra at amol@rightrespect.com

Speaker Presentations:

Amada Benavides, Member of United Nations Working Group on Mercenaries; (English, Spanish)

His Excellency Jerry Matjila, South African Ambassador to the Human Rights Council;

Thomas Haueter, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs; (Swiss Initiative)

André du Plessis, Geneva Center for Democratic Control of Armed Forces; (Fact Sheet)

Anne-Marie Buzatu, Geneva Center for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.  (Montreux Document)

Audio from Side Panel:

Human Rights Advocates Side Event Private Military and Security Companies by HumanRightsAdvocates