From Mercenaries to Market: The Rise and Regulation of Private Military Companies (Introduction)

FROM MERCENARIES TO MARKET: THE RISE AND REGULATION OF PRIVATE MILITARY COMPANIES, Simon Chesterman and Chia Lehnardt, eds., Oxford University Press, 2007

NYU Law School, Public Law Research Paper No. 07-09

9 Pages Posted: 13 May 2007

See all articles by Simon Chesterman

Simon Chesterman

National University of Singapore (NUS) - Faculty of Law

Chia Lehnardt

New York University School of Law

Abstract

Frequently characterized as either mercenaries in modern guise or the market's response to security gaps, private military companies - commercial firms offering military services ranging from combat and military training and advice to logistical support - play an increasingly important role in armed conflicts, UN peace operations, and providing security in unstable states. Executive Outcomes turned around an orphaned conflict in Sierra Leone in the mid-1990s; Military Professional Resources Incorporated (MPRI) was instrumental in shifting the balance of power in the Balkans, enabling the Croatian military to defeat Serb forces and clear the way for the Dayton negotiations; in Iraq, estimates of the number of private contractors on the ground are in the tens of thousands. As they assume more responsibilities in conflict and post-conflict settings, their growing significance raises fundamental questions about their nature, their role in different regions and contexts, and their regulation. This volume examines these issues with a focus on governance, in particular the interaction between regulation and market forces. It analyzes the current legal framework and the needs and possibilities for regulation in the years ahead. The book as a whole is organized around four sets of questions, which reflect the four parts of the book. First, why and how is regulation of PMCs now a challenging issue? Secondly, how have problems leading to a call for regulation manifested in different regions and contexts? Third, what regulatory norms and institutions currently exist and how effective are they? And, fourth, what role has the market to play in regulation?

Keywords: mercenaries, private military companies (PMCs), private security companies (PSCs), use of force, Iraq, Africa, international humanitarian law

Suggested Citation

Chesterman, Simon and Lehnardt, Chia, From Mercenaries to Market: The Rise and Regulation of Private Military Companies (Introduction). FROM MERCENARIES TO MARKET: THE RISE AND REGULATION OF PRIVATE MILITARY COMPANIES, Simon Chesterman and Chia Lehnardt, eds., Oxford University Press, 2007, NYU Law School, Public Law Research Paper No. 07-09, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=985837

Simon Chesterman (Contact Author)

National University of Singapore (NUS) - Faculty of Law ( email )

469G Bukit Timah Road
Eu Tong Sen Building
Singapore, 259776
Singapore

HOME PAGE: www.SimonChesterman.com

Chia Lehnardt

New York University School of Law ( email )

40 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012-1099
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
1,298
Abstract Views
5,228
Rank
28,921
PlumX Metrics