EU Statement – UN General Assembly 3rd Committee: Interactive Dialogue on the use of mercenaries

Thank you, Chair,

Madam Chair-Rapporteur,

The European Union would like to thank you for the presentation of your report, which sheds light on the alarming nexus between mercenaries, mercenary-related actors, private military and security companies and organized criminal activities and illicit networks. We share serious concern regarding how these actors increasingly cooperate with transnational criminal organizations, facilitating illicit trafficking, illicit natural resource extraction, and financial crimes that destabilize entire regions. 

The European Union firmly reiterates its long-standing position that the legal definition of a mercenary under international humanitarian law must remain strictly distinct from the commercial activities of regulated private military and security companies. We reiterate our call for a significant change in the mandate of the Working Group to focus more clearly on mercenaries, which would provide a more effective framework to advance its work.

We condemn the recruitment, use, financing, and training of mercenaries and related actors, as well as the criminal instrumentalization of security entities, where such conduct undermines international peace and security and violates international human rights law and international humanitarian law. We call for respect for the obligations under international law and its principles, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Madam Chair-Rapporteur,

In light of the findings in your latest report regarding the blurring lines between mercenary operations and transnational organized crime, what specific legal tools or cross-border enforcement mechanisms do you recommend member states prioritize to disrupt the financial pipelines and illicit networks that fund these joint criminal-mercenary operations? 

Thank you.