Legal and Policy

1.    Need for International Accountability
Right Respect and Human Rights Advocates present this report to the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the rights of peoples to self-determination (“Working Group”). We commend the efforts of the Working Group towards articulating a list of [...]

1.    Background on the Code of Conduct
Building on the conclusion of the “Montreux Document” and the emerging consensus on the need to fill normative and accountability gaps through a coordinated industry-driven private military and security companies (PMSCs) standard setting process, the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs has partnered with the Geneva Center for the Democratic [...]

The following report is a joint submission coordinated by Right Respect:
U.S. foreign policy relationships and assistance to Colombia, Haiti and Puerto Rico have
resulted in human rights violations in those countries.  For 10 years, Plan Colombia, a
U.S. aid program to the Colombian government, has been in effect.  Until 2007, 80 % of
the $6.7 billion has been [...]

This paper addresses residual problems in the current free trade paradigm. The paper focuses on the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement with regard to the Agreement’s labor provisions in Article 19. Alternatives are proposed in response to remaining issues in the US-Korea Agreement, including the status of Outward Processing Zones and a problematic lack of private firm accountability. Regardless of approach adopted, an expansion of cooperative efforts with the International Labor Organization as an independent monitoring and reporting body is advocated and encouraged. The goal of the paper is to provide information and insights for stakeholders come the next round of free trade negotiations.

This report highlights the current reality of the use of private military and security companies (PMSCs). Our four-prong analysis will begin by bringing the relevant issues to light. Next, our analysis will explain the legal and policy landscape, including international humanitarian law and human rights law applicable to the use of mercenaries and PMSCs. Third, our analysis will build off of stakeholder contributions, including the Montreux Document and the industry led Code of Conduct. Lastly, our analysis offers alternatives and solutions to progress the dialogue and ensure that human rights are given the right respect in business decisions.

A detailed description of the mandate of the UN’s Special Representative on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises.