The privatisation of war
 © Thinkstock
An EU-funded project conducted a comprehensive study of the privatisation of war and its regulation. Research also examined the role of the EU in ensuring compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights in related events.
The Priv-war project was initiated to assess the impact of hiring private military companies and private security contractors (PMCs/PSCs) and outsourcing preventive maintenance checks and services (PMSCs), in situations of armed conflict. This research was motivated by concerns that such companies effectively operate in a legal vacuum. This has implications for the employees involved, human rights issues, and individual approaches of EU Member States. In seeking to promote a greater understanding of this phenomenon, the project achieved considerable success across its many and varied objectives. For example, a database of companies was created to gather information on the main characteristics of PMSCs. Workshops encouraged dialogue on the use of such organisations, and a report was produced that identified the risks of 'outsourcing' international security to private entities. The legal status of PMSC employees under international humanitarian law (IHL) was researched, with a number of points being highlighted for clarification of their status as either combatants or civilians. Protecting human rights is the core concern of the Priv-war project, as was made evident in the book 'War by contract', and in working papers published on the project website. Private military activities can impact the enjoyment of human rights: a thorough overview was provided of applicable regional and universal instruments. Priv-war also shed light on the role of obligations and remedial processes in regulating PMSCs, and highlighted their accountability in cases determined to be in violation of human rights. Partners further analysed the international responsibility of Member States and the accountability of PMSCs, and examined existing regulations at national and EU levels. The latter prompted discussions leading to proposals for ways the EU can adopt regulatory measures and approach essential objectives, means and legal bases. In addition, a series of events contributed to the creation of a wider network of experts with varied backgrounds, lending a clear interdisciplinary character to the Priv-war project. Country: ITALY Information Source: Result from the EU funded FP7-SSH programme
Date: 2013-01-14
| ||||||
| ||||||
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου