GENEVA - A new report by the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries highlights the alarming role of mercenaries, mercenary-related actors, and private military and security companies (PMSCs) in the exploitation of natural resources, often at the expense of human rights, including the right to self-determination of affected communities.
Presented to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council, the Working Group report documents how these actors operate in complex networks involving governments, corporations, and criminal groups to secure access to valuable resources such as minerals, oil, timber, and agricultural land. Their activities frequently result in grave human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence, forced displacement, and environmental destruction.
The report reveals a growing trend in the use of PMSCs to protect mining and agribusiness sites, often at the expense of local communities who are displaced or silenced through intimidation and violence.
"In some cases, PMSCs collaborate with state security forces, blurring lines of accountability and fostering impunity," the Working Group said. "The involvement of mercenary-related actors in illicit trade and smuggling operations, sometimes using shell companies and weak regulatory frameworks to obscure their activities raises serious concerns."
The Working Group highlighted the disproportionate impact on indigenous peoples and local communities, whose ancestral and communal lands are often targeted for resource extraction.
"These communities often face violations of their rights to land, culture, and livelihood, further compounded by the lack of access to justice and remedies," the experts said.
The report calls for the adoption of robust legal frameworks to regulate PMSCs, investigate abuses, and ensure accountability. It also underscores the urgent need for the development of a legally binding international instrument to govern the activities of PMSCs and mercenary actors and urges companies to conduct rigorous human rights due diligence and suspend operations linked to human rights violations.
"We call for strong oversight and accountability mechanisms, transparency, and support for civil society efforts to protect communities affected by resource exploitation," the Working Group said.
