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Private Military Companies and the Proliferation of Small Arms: Regulating the Actors.
Makki, S. Meek, S. Musah, A. Crowley, Michael J.A. Lilly, D.
Makki, S.
Meek, S.
Musah, A.
Crowley, Michael J.A.
Lilly, D.
Publication Date
2001
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© 2001 The Authors, British American Security Information Council (BASIC), International Alert and Saferworld. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share-Alike License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/uk).
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Abstract
The 1990s witnessed a change in the way wars were fought as the amount of available
weaponry increased and the types of actors engaged in warfare multiplied. The opening up
of the international arms trade, in particular with new buyers and more channels of supply,
has raised concerns about who purchases weapons and for what use. Afeature of this
changing nature of conflict has been the continuing, if not growing, presence of mercenaries
and the emergence of private companies contracted to provide military and security services.
These range from logistical support and training to advice and procurement of arms and
on-the-ground intervention. This briefing highlights how the activities of mercenaries and
private military and security companies can contribute to small arms proliferation and misuse
and examines steps the international community can take at the UN Small Arms Conference
and elsewhere to effectively combat mercenarism and regulate the activities of private military
and security companies.
The role played by these companies relates not only to provisions contained in the contracts
they sign with their clients to provide large amounts of weaponry, but also how the military and
security services and training that they provide contributes to the demand for weapons in the
regions where they operate. There are a number of ways in which mercenaries and private
military and security companies are involved in small arms proliferation. These include:
l Arms brokering and transportation activities
l Violations of UN arms embargoes
l Impact on human rights and humanitarian law
l Driving demand for small arms
Various measures already exist to ban the activities of mercenaries and regulate some of the
activities of private military and security companies either through national legislation or
international agreements. However, there is concern these efforts are neither comprehensive
nor accepted widely enough to effectively control the activities of mercenaries and private
military and security companies.
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Citation
Makki, S., Meek, S., Musah, A. F., Crowley, M. and Lilly, D. (2001). Private Military Companies and the Proliferation of Small Arms: Regulating the Actors. London: British American Security Information Council (BASIC), International Alert and Saferworld. Biting the Bullet Briefing Papers. Briefing 10.
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Briefing Paper