Delimitation and presence of PMSCs: Impact on human rights

Abstract

Today, private military and security companies (PMSCs) can be found in various operational contexts and provide a wide range of services for public and private clients. It is increasingly common to see PMSCs patrolling borders, providing security in airports, protecting extractive industry projects, or providing military services in areas affected by conflict. The demand for PMSCs' services has grown considerably in the last decade, reflecting the process of privatization of security in areas in which it was traditionally provided by public security forces. The outsourcing of these services, which in many cases involve the use of force, has a vast impact on human rights. This chapter delimits the presence and services provided by PMSCs at the international level and analyzes how their operations impact human rights. The author identifies and systematizes types of human rights' violations according the services provided by PMSC and their operational contexts with the aim of providing more evidence and factors to open a public debate on which security areas should remain under the management of public institutions and which PMSC activities should be regulated.