Topic: 2024-Private Military Contractors
Country: Bangladesh
Delegate Name: Sophia Kiser
2024-Private Military Contractors (PMC)
Bangladesh
Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC)
Mattawan High School
Sophia Kiser
Private Military Contractors (PMCs) have several purposes for nations worldwide. They contribute to the protection of people in need of assistance, armed guarding, prisoner detention; and training of security personnel or local forces. However, these PMCs get to decide what conflicts they participate in, entering conflicts for money or other things for their benefit, and many people agree that this is morally wrong. PMCs are used to defend citizens when in conflict, but often aren’t supervised, which can lead to harmful actions towards citizens. Of course, there are always benefits to consider: PMCs replace mercenaries, people are defended, they have armed support, and they know how to fight and win battles. It depends on the country, but a good variety has multiple Private Military Companies in their arms.
On another note, the UN relies heavily on PMCs for peacekeeping missions across different nations which can be helpful at times, but there are also speculations of peacekeepers not helping these countries when promised, or at all. Bangladesh is a newer country with not many conflicts, the only war being the independence war from the 1970s, so the country of Bangladesh has not been impacted by PMCs directly but that doesn’t change how Bangladesh views them. Bangladesh supports PMCs working under supervision because Bangladesh knows the importance of a country in need of help and what a sacrifice it would be to shut PMCs down or other forms of lessening them.
The delegation of Bangladesh believes that PMCs’ pros outweigh the cons and that the UN should consider that PMCs are beneficial. But use should be permitted, and they should be supervised as much as possible, ensuring to put them into accountability for their actions. The PMCs actions can often be disregarded and turned away, but these people should be penalized for wrong-doings and their unpredictable actions. These punishments should be consulted to one another through the PMCs company and origin country, along with the country they committed the crime in. In addition, every country has its own way of how it looks at the world and who it wants in its country. Some countries aren’t so worried about PMCs while others are, meaning every country has its own opinions concerning PMCs and what they can do within the country of subject. The UN should promise that these countries’ wishes of how PMCs are operating are respected and ensured within said countries borders. Countries do not work around PMCs, PMCs work around countries and what they want. Bangladesh believes that if a country is in need of these PMCs, then they shouldn’t have to also worry about the backlash that comes along with the help that they are receiving.
Sources:
Monitoring Private Military and Security Contractors
https://scholarship.law.nd.edu/ndjicl/vol1/iss1/1/
Role of Private Military Companies in Conflict
https://bipss.org.bd/role-of-private-military-companies-in-conflict/
Impact of Private Military Companies on the Protection of Civilians
https://civiliansinconflict.org/publications/policy/privatizing-war-the-impact-of-private-military-companies-on-the-protection-of-civilians/
