Topic: Status of Defense Contractors and Non-National Combatants
Country: Colombia
Delegate Name: Ryan Mark-Griffin
School: Ann Arbor Community High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Colombia position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
To quote the preamble to the United Nations charter, our purpose is to "unite our strength to maintain international peace and security." This statement has heavily influenced both the resolutions and the action of the United Nations organization since it's founding, and must be remembered today as we consider the status of non-military combatants. We must consider whether the use of these contractors benefits or undermines this purpose, and if the latter be the case, what is to be done. Based on our country's own experiences, we feel that if properly implemented, the use of non-military combatants can facilitate international cooperation.
Despite minor setbacks, we have found the use of Private Military Firms to be a beneficial resource in peacekeeping operations inside of our own country. The International drug trade operation controlled by the terrorist group known as Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia creates violence and instability across the globe, and after years of unsuccessful attempts to eliminate FARC without outside help, we realized a more international approach was necessary. As the major destination of Colombian Cocaine, the United States of America was willing to provide support in a more effective and reformed war on the drug trade based in southern Colombia. Together we drafted Plan Colombia, which included the use of private military firms for training Colombian personnel, aircrafts, and strategic planning. Since it's inception, Plan Colombia has helped to push back FARC and downsize its operations.
This arrangement has been beneficial for both parties, as we benefit from the use of a private military firm's aircraft; the United States has avoided entering its military into another civil war. By using private military firms, such as DynCorp, the United States has been able to provide us with military support in the form of much needed aircraft for the spraying of cocoa fields, as well as training our soldiers in tactical operations and providing strategic advice on a higher command level. This has kept the United States from becoming engaged in a full-scale war in Colombia, while still allowing them to provide much needed support. Of all private military personnel employed in Colombia, only one third are United States citizens.
None of the non-military combatants are combat orientated, though they occasionally are required by situation to protect themselves through military force. During spray missions, a DynCorp helicopter is flown by a DynCorp pilot, carries a DynCorp medic, and has at least one Colombian soldier. In the case of a skirmish between FARC soldiers and the helicopter, the Colombian soldier would be the primary combatant.
As long as private military firms are used as a support tool, and are not employed as private armies, they remain a valuable tool in the modern world. By utilizing this resource, countries can accomplish international goals with much less risk than committing their own militaries. Proper use of these firms can yield great results, as has been demonstrated in Colombia. However, if unchecked, they could be used to undermine peacekeeping efforts by digressing to mere mercenaries. As long as the function of these firms is limited to the realm of support, they will remain a tool, and nothing more.
