A forum for participants of the Montreux Document on pertinent international legal obligations and good practices for states related to operations of private military and security companies during armed conflict.
On 27-28 February 2018, Costa Rica, with the support of the Co-Chairs of the MDF (Switzerland and ICRC) organised a regional meeting of the MDF.
The event gathered Montreux Document participants, representatives of other Latin America and Caribbean States (LAC), as well as the Organisation of American States, the Central American Integration System, and the Caribbean Community to discuss national and regional experiences with PMSCs and identify concrete ways in which the Montreux Document can advance implementation of PMSC regulations.
With at least 16,174 private security companies in operation and more than 2,450,000 legally registered employees, PMSCs in the LAC region provide security for extractive industries, protect critical infrastructure and business, deliver training and operational support, as well as collaborate in urban security partnerships with police and other public institutions.
They operate in States enjoying peace and stability, in contexts affected by violence, and situations of armed conflict. This variable landscape has led to valid concerns over ensuring respect for international human rights law (IHRL), and international humanitarian law (IHL) where applicable. The LAC region was also highlighted as significantly relevant for the MDF during the 2017 Plenary meeting as participants stressed the importance of contextualizing the Montreux Document to address challenges specific to national regulators.
Gathering Montreux Document participants and all States in the LAC region, this meeting will serve to highlight the application of the Montreux Document and its added value and relevance for States' regulatory efforts across LAC. The meeting will also provide space for a dedicated exchange on existing challenges and good practices in PMSC regulation faced by national practitioners.
