September 16, 2019
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Alexander Garcia, Royal Oak High School

Madagascar

Disarmament and International Security Committee, Private Military Contractors

 

The use of private military contractors throughout the world by various states is indeed problematic, as the contractors have been found responsible for numerous atrocities. However, any resolution passed by the Disarmament and International Security Committee which attempts to change the current behaviours of states on this issue would likely be ineffectual. The commitment among employers of private military contractors to reform their practices is less than exceptional, and given the limited powers and influence of this committee, no action the committee can take will change the current state of affairs in a meaningful way.

In light of this, this delegation’s view is that the committee’s focus should be on those areas in which it could affect change, namely, those concerning the UN’s own relationships with private military contractors. In the past, the UN has failed to properly vet and control the private military contractors it employs, leading to fiascoes such as the Bosnian sex trafficking scandal involving employees of the private military contracting firm DynCorp, a firm which was, at the time, employed by the UN in peacekeeping operations. Scandals such as these tarnish the reputation of the UN and its peacekeeping forces, which could complicate further peacekeeping missions. This is an issue in which a resolution passed by the committee could have a notable effect. Therefore, it is where the committee should concentrate its limited time.

In addressing this issue, this delegation favors recommending that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations work in conjunction with the Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries to develop new practices and guidelines for the use of private military contractors. These recommendations should be crafted in a manner which ensures that any private military contractors employed by the UN act in accordance with its principles. This delegation also favors the creation of a subcommittee of DISEC, tasked with publishing an annual report on the conduct and efficacy of private military contractors employed by the UN.

Sources:

Pingeot, Lou. “A Dangerous Partnership .” Global Policy Institute, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, June 2012.

“Hopes Betrayed: Trafficking of Women and Girls to Post-Conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina for Forced Prostitution .” Human Rights Watch, 2002, doi:10.1163/2210-7975_hrd-2156-0295.

 

  • Alexander Garcia