Topic: 2024-Private Military Contractors
Country: Poland
Delegate Name: Matthew Chrostowski
Poland underlines that the activity of PMC has to be regulated under strict legal frameworks, ensuring accountability, transparency, and conformity with international law. In this regard, Poland encourages not only national laws but also international treaties like the Montreux Document and the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers. Such laws should guide PMC activities, especially in conflict areas, to avoid abuse and make sure their operations are verifiable with humanitarian law standards and respect for human rights.
It is due to misuse in conflict zones that Poland calls for strict international regulation and oversight. PMCs must be barred from committing crimes such as torture and from destabilizing governments. The international community, particularly the United Nations and NATO, should enforce these rules and ensure that PMCs only perform legitimate security functions. Poland supports enhanced mechanisms of enforcement, including the role of the International Criminal Court in holding contractors accountable for violations of international law, as a means of ensuring that PMCs operate within established legal boundaries.
A humanitarian mission can deploy PMCs only for specific tasks, such as the protection of aid workers and/or infrastructure. Poland’s view is that, PMCs should not be directly involved in carrying out aid delivery due to the risk of militarizing humanitarian efforts. Humanitarian aid has to remain neutral, non-partisan, and be exclusively intended for alleviating suffering. Strong control over the involvement of PMCs should be developed to prevent the risk of a distorted perception of using aid for political or military purposes, which can undermine the legitimacy of the mission.
Poland maintains that PMC involvement should be balanced in conflict zones as well as in humanitarian missions. It is only through compliance with international law, severe control, and observance of the division between military and humanitarian functions that the international community will be able to prevent abuses and preserve humanitarian work from distortion. Poland’s position reflects its commitment to security, human rights, and ethical standards in the use of PMCs.
