Use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding
the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination
A/RES/72/158
Working Group and other experts to continue their participation in the ab ovementioned working group;
15. Requests the Working Group on the use of mercenaries to continue the
work already done by the Special Rapporteurs on the use of mercenaries of the
Commission on Human Rights with respect to the strengthening of the interna tional
legal framework for the prevention and sanction of the recruitment, use, financing
and training of mercenaries, taking into account the proposal for a new legal
definition of a mercenary drafted by the Special Rapporteur in his report to the
Commission on Human Rights at its sixtieth session; 14
16. Also requests the Working Group on the use of mercenaries to continue to
study and identify sources and causes, emerging issues, manifestations and trends
regarding mercenaries or mercenary-related activities and private military and
security companies and their impact on human rights, particularly on the right of
peoples to self-determination;
17. Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights, as a matter of priority, to publicize the adverse effects of the activities of
mercenaries on the right of peoples to self-determination and, when requested and
where necessary, to render advisory services to States that are affected by those
activities;
18. Recommends that all Member States, including those confronted with the
phenomenon of private military and security companies, as contracting States, States
of operations, home States or States whose nationals are employed to work for a
private military and security company, contribute to the work of the open-ended
intergovernmental working group, taking into account the initial work done by the
Working Group on the use of mercenaries;
19. Urges all States to cooperate fully with the Working Group on the use of
mercenaries in the fulfilment of its mandate;
20. Requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to provide the Working Group on the
use of mercenaries with all the assistance and support necessary for the fulfilment of
its mandate, both professional and financial, including through the promotion of
cooperation between the Working Group and other components of the United Nations
system that deal with countering mercenary-related activities, in order to meet the
demands of its current and future activities;
21. Requests the Working Group on the use of mercenaries to consult States
and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations on the implementation of
the present resolution and to report, with specific recommendatio ns, to the General
Assembly at its seventy-third session its findings on the use of mercenaries to
undermine the enjoyment of all human rights and to impede the exercise of the right
of peoples to self-determination;
22. Decides to consider the question of the use of mercenaries as a means of
violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self determination at its seventy-third session under the item entitled “Right of peoples to
self-determination”.
73rd plenary meeting
19 December 2017
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4/4
See E/CN.4/2004/15, para. 47.
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