CIAO DATE: 08/05

Privatising Security: Law, Practice and Governance of Private Military and Security Companies

Abstract

The emergence and rapid growth of private military companies (PMCs) and private security companies (PSCs) in the 1990s followed from the downsizing of the armed forces in the aftermath of the Cold War and the development of many new conflicts which increased demand for military manpower and expertise. The redefinition of security strategies and the restructuring of armed forces by Western governments resulted in the elimination of non-core activities from the functions of many armed forces. These have increasingly been filled through various forms of alternative service delivery, in particular being outsourced to PMCs and PSCs.

Today, PMCs and PSCs constitute an important component of the security sector. This paper is a broad overview of the issues and challenges evoked by PMCs and PSCs, presenting the various typologies that are suggested by the range of services, activities and characteristics of the emerging private military and security industry. The advantages and disadvantages of using such firms are discussed in various contexts, as are the challenges connected with the regulation and governance of this sector.

Full Text (PDF, 184 pages, 1.28 MB)