Country: Kuwait
Committee: DISEC
Topic: Private Military Contractors
Delegate: Ethan Briggs
School: Williamston High School
As we enter a world in which it becomes harder to fight our own wars, many nations have turned to using PMCs as a solution for more tame situations. Of course, there are two sides to this coin. On the one hand, using PMCs is useful to both large and small nations. For the large, they can carry out missions that aren’t public information, or deal with areas of conflict difficult for a large scale battle. In small, it becomes a way to keep a pseudo-army, as well as protection for officials that almost always have a target on their hand. Of course, the other side of the coin is how the PMCs act. Many have abused their power, taking a peaceful confrontation to a bloody end. Some companies have even begun to extort the nations they work for, and the lobbization of the governments by these companies has gone on for too long. We must lay down firmer laws for these PMCs, and stop their abuse of power and money.
Kuwait has had a history of the use of PMCs, and only in recent times has really been able to get out of this hole. This ended with the friendship with the U.S., in which Kuwait was able to trade for a standing army and protection by the government. Before then, the usage was out of control, and consequences were suffered. Now, Kuwait has been able to grow its army, thus needing less PMCs. Now, the nation has taken a strict attitude towards PMCs, and has begun to crack down on them. Not only that, the Kuwaiti government has started to deal directly with these PMCs in an attempt to control them.
Kuwait would like to see a more strict approach to dealing with PMCs. Instead of seeing them removed entirely, Kuwait wants to have the usage of them reduced. Not only that, tighter control of them is needed, and personnel to watch them is in order. Punishment for abuse of power is also necessary, as many get away with everything. Kuwait believes the focus should be more on the individual rather than the company. Things like lobbying should be left to nations to deal with themselves if they view it as a problem. Kuwait hopes that other nations will take this view and support them in their goal to reduce the abuse of PMCs.
- Ethan Briggs
