Reining in the Contractors

A group of security contractors has banded together and signed a code of conduct intended to help regulate their behavior.

Major private security companies signed a code of conduct Tuesday, pledging to respect human rights and the rule of law in conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan, where some have been accused of abuses against the local population and reckless behavior.

The voluntary code developed by industry and governments was signed by 58 companies including Britain's G4S and U.S.-based DynCorp International and Xe Services — formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide.

"This initiative has the potential to address gaps in oversight and accountability," said U.S. State Department legal adviser Harold Koh.

Private security companies contracted by governments and non-governmental organizations have seen a boom in business over the past decades, particularly due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where they have been hired to guard individuals, installations and convoys.

For a more in-depth look at private security contractors, check out this article from globalresearch.ca
It opens thus...

These non-state entities of the XXIst century operate in extremely blurred situations where the frontiers are difficult to separate. The new security industry of private companies moves large quantities of weapons and military equipment. It provides services for military operations recruiting former militaries as civilians to carry out passive or defensive security.

However, these individuals cannot be considered as civilians, given that they often carry and use weapons, interrogate prisoners, load bombs, drive military trucks and fulfill other essential military functions. Those who are armed can easily switch from a passive/defensive to an active/offensive role and can commit human rights violations and even destabilize governments. They cannot be considered soldiers or supporting militias under international humanitarian law either, since they are not part of the army or in the chain of command, and often belong to a large number of different nationalities.

PMSC personnel cannot usually be considered to be mercenaries for the definition of mercenaries as stipulated in the international conventions dealing with this issue does not generally apply to the personnel of PMSCs which are legally operating in foreign countries under contracts of legally registered companies.

Private military and security companies operate in a legal vacuum: they pose a threat to civilians and to international human rights law. The UN Human Rights Council has entrusted the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries, principally, with the mandate: “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 (…) and to prepare draft international basic principles that encourage respect for human rights on the part of those companies in their activities”.

By: Brant