28/01/2025 Session
PACE called today for more international regulation to ensure that the activities of private military and security companies (PMSCs) “align with democratic principles and human rights,” including on issues such as accountability and redress for victims of human rights violations.
The resolution adopted, based on a report by Andrea Orlando (Italy, SOC), highlights the challenges posed by the operations of private military and security companies (PMSCs) in various parts of the world. While acknowledging the atrocities committed by entities like the Wagner Group following the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Assembly emphasised that these so-called “Russian private military companies” are distinct from legitimate PMSCs, which operate within the legal frameworks of their home States. The Assembly underlined that legitimate PMSCs can play a crucial role, particularly in providing security for humanitarian missions, but warned that “the regulatory landscape on this matter remains scarce,” leaving room for abuses in unregulated contexts.
To address these issues, the Assembly called on member states to implement minimum requirements for regulating PMSCs, including licensing systems, human rights compliance training, and transparent accountability and victim compensation mechanisms.
It also urged member states to ratify the United Nations International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing, and Training of Mercenaries and to endorse the Montreux Document. Furthermore, PACE recommended that the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers prepare a binding regional framework to ensure accountability and victim redress.
The parliamentarians underscored that “only a legally binding instrument” can adequately address the challenges posed by PMSCs and prevent “the erosion of the States' authority, loss of democratic oversight and accountability”.