Private military and security companies (PMSCs) are expanding like wildfire across the world, diversifying clients and operations. They offer services ranging from protection and training to direct participation in hostilities, arms dealing, and humanitarian evacuations. Their impact on human rights—particularly on civilians, women, children, and migrants—as well as on the environment, has been widely reported as devastating. In some cases, their actions have even fallen within definitions of international crimes, such as in the Abu Ghraib case. Despite their growing influence, only two non-legally binding documents of an international nature have addressed the regulation of PMSCs: the Montreux Document (2008) and the International Code of Conduct (ICoC) (2010). This month, states will convene again under the auspices of the United Nations to discuss the Revised Fourth Draft of the proposed international legal regulation of PMSCs, a process fundamental for international peace and security at a time when militarization is a central topic in public debates.
State Responsibility
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Starlink and International Law: The Challenge of Corporate Sovereignty in Outer Space
SpaceX’s Starlink project is transforming Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with an unprecedented “mega-constellation” of satellites. Originally planned for 12,000 satellites, Starlink has since expanded its ambition to 42,000 satellites – five times the number of all objects humans had ever launched into space prior to this project. This massive private deployment promises global internet coverage, but…
Whose Legal Duty to Aid?
On 4 November, Israel officially informed the United Nations of its decision to cut ties with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) following the passage of two bills opposing UNRWA’s activities on Israeli territory. The new laws also designate UNRWA as a terrorist organisation and strip its staff of legal…
North Korea’s Troop Deployment in the Russian War of Aggression against Ukraine: The DPRK as a Principal or as an Accomplice?
Reporting over the past few weeks has confirmed the presence of thousands of North Korean troops in the theatre of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, and their imminent deployment on the battlefield. Estimates vary, but the North Korean regime has apparently provided more than ten thousand troops to…
Navigating France’s Views on Sovereignty in Cyberspace: Why Might France Not Be in the “Sovereignty-As-A-Rule” and in the “Pure Sovereignty” Camps
Since 2013, States have repeatedly reaffirmed in multilateral institutions that the principle of sovereignty applies in cyberspace, and in particular that “in their use of ICTs, States must observe, among other principles of international law, State sovereignty, sovereign equality” (A/70/174). As more and more states publish their views on the application of international law in…
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