Item 3: Resolution Entitled “Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group to consider the possibility of elaborating an international regulatory framework on the regulation, monitoring, and oversight of the activities of private military and security companies,” A/HRC/28/L.11/Rev.1
Explanation of Vote by the Delegation of the United States of America
Human Rights Council 28th Session
Geneva, March 26, 2015
The United States will abstain from this resolution, due to our concern about the length of the mandate extension and its related costs. While we appreciate that changes were made regarding the mandate during the negotiations, we are also concerned about the lack of a clear reference to paragraph 77 of the report of the second OEIGWG session, which this Council’s previous resolution on this mandate, Resolution 22/33, referenced specifically. To reiterate, we see paragraph 77, including the issues defined in subparagraph (B), as providing the basis for our continued cooperation. We will continue to evaluate the OEIGWG against that metric.
The United States has consistently advocated bringing together home states, territorial states, contracting states, experts, and other stakeholders to make step-by-step progress on promoting and protecting human rights in the context of activities of PSCs and PMCs. But the United States continues to believe that what is needed now is not new international law but better implementation of the existing international law, as well as improvements in law, regulation, and policy at the national level. We hope that continued discussion in the OEIGWG can be a vehicle for facilitating that kind of enhancement of domestic standards.
Thank you.