Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin says he has ordered his forces to turn back from Moscow due to the risk of bloodshed after talks with Belarusian president and Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko . In March 2008, the Human Rights Council extended the mandate of the Working Group for a period of three years. Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order. A general view of the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council in session. When armed private security personnel operated closely alongside military personnel, such as State armies or United Nations peace operations, and they engaged in the use of force, this could compromise the principle of distinction between civilian and military persons and objects, creating confusion about legitimate targets. The thematic section of the report focused on enforced disappearances in the context of transnational transfers. It was necessary for the community of nations to have a legally binding international instrument for the regulation of private military and security companies, in accordance with international law. The Top 5 Most Unionized Industries - Investopedia It is not always possible to accurately track the exact activities of the Wagner Group, headed byYevgeny Prigozhin, and other PMCs because they allegedly act independently of the Russian government and conventional military forces. It was informed that only private security companies operated in Ukraine, and that the Government oversees their activities. Ms. Amada Benavides de Prez (Colombia) Jelena Aparac, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the United Nations Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the right of peoples to self-determination, presented the Working Groups thematic report, which highlighted the role of private military and security companies in humanitarian action. Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the leader of the Russian paramilitary organization known as Wagner Group, said he will end an attempted coup d'tat against Russian President Vladimir Putin, turn his mercenary group around from Moscow, and start heading in the opposite direction. Russia-Ukraine updates: Wagner boss orders troops to pull back Russian mercenaries accused of deadly attacks on mines on Sudan-CAR The Lipetsk region is about 360 . Some speakers fully shared the concerns expressed in the report regarding the enforced or involuntary disappearance of minorities, activists, journalists, human rights defenders and political prisoners, and joined in the Working Groups concern about reprisals against the families of victims of disappearance and human rights defenders and the organizations that supported them. UN/ MERCENARIES | United Nations UN Audiovisual Library The General Assembly also regularly adopts resolutions on the use of mercenaries that touch on the activities of the Working Group, most recently through resolution 74/138 in 2019. How to preserve Hong Kong's cultural memory? The private military company is thought to act in Russian interests there by doing things like engaging in the extraction of raw materials, undermining democratic actorsand investing in disinformation campaigns. US Supreme Court guts affirmative action at colleges, Uruguay drought: Capital hit by water shortages, report from the US-based think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Speakers said that unfortunately, forced or involuntary disappearances continued to be a phenomenon that occurred in all regions of the world. Organized Labor: An association of workers united as a single, representative entity for the purpose of improving the workers' economic status and working conditions through collective bargaining . As such, most foreigners in principle can legitimately fight on the side of the Government. Private contractors have not been used in combat roles, but UN reliance on these firms is growing as its personnel become increasingly targeted in zones of conflict. [Spanish version], UN experts visit Equatorial Guinea to discuss the menace posed by the activities of mercenaries (12 August 2010) UN troop rotations in the peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA) resumed on Monday with a new approval mechanismone month after they were suspended by the ruling junta, which accused 49 Ivorian soldiers of entering the country without permission. [13] This is indeed the core preoccupation of the Working Group on this visit. Some speakers said that the Working Group's conclusions had proven to be unsubstantiated and urged the Working Group to verify the credibility of the sources, as required by the Code of Conduct of the Special Procedures. to discuss the use of private He has also visited Russian prisons to fill the group's ranks, promising freedom to Russian inmates between the ages of 22 and 50 if they choose to serve in the mercenary outfit for six months. The subject of foreign fighters has thus become a topic of interest to the Working Group due to its linkages to the phenomenon of mercenaries, and Ukraine is the third country that the Working Group is visiting, to closely study the impacts of foreign fighters on human rights. The Working Group also presented as an addendum the follow-up to the recommendations made by the Working Group following its visit to the Gambia, from 12 to 19 June 2017 and Albania, from 5 to 12 December 2016. Rise in mercenary forces trigger 'rampant' human rights violations | UN The Working Group recommended moving beyond self-regulatory regimes and called for a binding international regulatory framework governing the conduct of private military and security companies. UN rights experts on use of mercenaries weigh 'increasing activity' of Ms. Patricia Arias (Chile) The Wagner Group Is a Crisis of Putin's Own Making The United Nations Working Group on the use of mercenaries today urged Governments to recognize the need for a legally binding international agreement to regulate the use and activities of private military and security companies (PMSCs) to complement existing regulations. Updated on: June 24, 2023 / 10:08 AM / CBS/AP. The speaker regretted that during this pandemic, the United Nations international cooperation mandate had given way to the interests of States and corporations. Press Conference by Working Group on Mercenaries | UN Press News in Brief 31 January 2023 | | UN News What is the Wagner Group? - NBC News Working Groups | United Nations Commission On International Trade Law Ithad been granted a concession in 2017 by the former Sudanese government to explore gold mining sites. As a result, they said that they would submit a draft resolution on this matter. Mr. Ravindran Daniel (India) was appointed to the position of Chair-Rapporteur in November 2022. [Source: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Preliminary findings by the UN Working Group on the use [of] mercenaries on [its] Mission to Ukraine, News, 18 March 2016, available at: [1] KYIV, UKRAINE (18 March 2016) Ms Olga Patricia Arias Barriga, member of the Working Group: I would like to present the preliminary findings of the Working Group on the use of mercenaries visit to Ukraine which took place from 14-18 March 2016. Ms. Elbieta Karska (Poland) The Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination Latest news: "Mercenaries still pose a serious threat to human rights," warns UN expert body (8 April 2011) other 4 Regional Groups Since then the private army has steadily grown. The delegation was also grateful to have met with the representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk peoples republic. After he was freed from jail, Prigozhin ran a hot dog stand before he became the owner of several fancy restaurants in Saint Petersburg. Persons in vulnerable situations, women, children, migrants and refugees, people with disabilities, LGBTI+ persons, older persons, minorities, human rights defenders and journalists, are experiencing particularly negative impacts, the experts highlighted. A comparison between enforced disappearances and the devastating pandemic could be made. This made it difficult for the Working Group to develop a comprehensive picture of the activities of foreigners fighting in the various armed formations. Mercenary Activities Undermine Rule of Law, Perpetuate - UN Press Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the Prigozhin had sharply criticized Russian military leaders for weeks . Should mercenaries be considered combatants or civilians? [18] The Working Group recommends full implementation of the Minsk Protocols. 'Putin's position has been weakened' by mercenaries' revolt, Senator COVID-19 posed a serious test to the current world order and renewed multilateralism had never been so necessary as it was today. A/HRC/15/25 Page 2 Summary The Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination was established in July 2005 People are seen around Red Square amid escalating tensions between the Kremlin and the . The Working Group on Mercenaries, one of the special procedures of the UN Human Rights Council, has been entrusted to monitor the impact of the activities of private military and security companies (PMSCs) on the enjoyment of human rights and to prepare draft international basic principles that encourage respect for human rights on the part of those companies. PDF A HRC 15 25 - Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Speakers deeply regretted the constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the activities of the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances, particularly with regard to the impossibility of conducting country visits. Phone: +41 (0)22 917 1234See location, Services Operating HoursFrequently Asked Questions, MORNING - Working Group on Enforced Disappearances: the Atrocious Crime of Enforced Disappearance Continues to Happen and Takes New Shapes and Forms, In Dialogue with Cyprus, Experts of the Human Rights Committee Commend Efforts on Gender Equality, Raise Issues Concerning Unsafe Migration and Turkish Cypriot Access to Civil Service, MORNING - High Commissioner for Human Rights Calls on States and the Council to Pledge to Take Concrete and Transformative Action to Tackle Gender-based Violence against Women and Girls in Public and Political Life, AFTERNOON - Human Rights Council Hears of Urgent Need for International Solidarity in Responding to Humanitarian Crises, Conflicts and Forced Displacement, and of the Climate of Impunity for Abuses of the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Asso, In Dialogue with Uganda, Experts of the Human Rights Committee Commend Improvement of Prison Conditions, Raise Issues Concerning the Anti-Homosexuality Law and Free Elections, MORNING - Human Rights Council Discusses Report on Trafficking in Persons and the Intersections with Refugee Protection, Internal Displacement and Statelessness. After months of becoming increasingly critical of the Russian military and its efforts in the war against Ukraine, Prigozhin is now waging a campaign against the same people his group spent months fighting alongside in Ukraine. HENRIKAS MICKEVICIUS, Vice-Chair of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, said that the members of the Working Group were impartial and did not solicit any cases. In the discussion on enforced disappearances, speakers said that unfortunately enforced or involuntary disappearances continued to be a phenomenon that occurred in all regions of the world. The US government believes that the Wagner Group was being paid by the UAE to support Hifter in Libya. They only proceeded with cases that they received. Prigozhin, 61, is the head of the Wagner mercenary group that was supporting the Russian government in its war against Ukraine before Prigozhin turned against the Russian Ministry of Defense. February 2019 Monthly Forecast - Security Council Report student at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, under the supervision of Professor Marco Sassli and Ms. Yvette Issar, research assistant, both at the University of Geneva. A/HRC/51/25: Access to justice, accountability and remedies for victims of mercenaries, mercenary-related actors and private military and security companies, A/76/151: The human rights impacts of mercenaries, mercenary-related actors and private military and security companies engaging in cyberactivities - Report of the Working Group on the use of mercenaries, A/HRC/45/9/Add.1: Visit to Switzerland - Report of the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination, A/HRC/42/42/Add.2: Visit to Austria - Report of the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination, Sudan: Considerable reforms but major challenges remain- independent expert, No human rights progress despite new presidency, Burundi inquiry finds, Civilians bear devastating brunt of fighting in Sudan: UN experts, Russian Federation: UN experts alarmed by recruitment of prisoners by Wagner Group, States must tackle racism and stigma against LGBT persons, Freedom of speech is not freedom to spread racial hatred on social media: UN experts, National institutions and regional mechanisms, 32 UN experts issue a joint letter to the ICC Prosecutor regarding the Situation in the State of Palestine, International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers, The Montreux Document on Private Military and Security Companies, University of Denver, Private Security Monitor. These foreigners came from various countries, mostly in Europe, and joined volunteer battalions on the side of the Government and the armed groups of the self-proclaimed Donetsk peoples republic and the self-proclaimed Luhansk peoples republic. Prigozhin in Belarus as Wagner Prepares to Hand Over Weapons in Russia Other speakers condemned all enforced disappearances and called on governments to conduct transparent and independent investigations into all cases, hold those responsible to account, help clarify what happened to victims, and where possible, facilitate their return. They supported recommendation 108 of the report, which called on States to adopt specific measures to prevent acts of intimidation and reprisals, protect those working on cases of enforced disappearance, and punish the perpetrators of such attacks. It succeeded the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the use of mercenaries, which had been in existence since 1987. States' obligations to protect and respect human rights extended to protection against human rights abuses by third parties, including private military and security companies. Learn more about the UN presence and work in Geneva. Moscow residents ordered to stay home from work on Monday as Wagner mercenaries march on the Russian capital. Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. Mali's military rulers, who took power in a 2021 coup, also work with the Wagner Group. At #HRC51, Sorcha MacLeod (@DrSorcs), chair of the Working Group on #mercenaries, updated the Human Rights Council on the panels report on access to justice, accountability and remedies for victims of mercenaries & private military companies.INFO https://t.co/RI4NIUUAhS pic.twitter.com/fjScug59Ba. (. Preliminary findings of UN Working Groups Mission to Ukraine. He concluded by saying that there was no need for political differences and that if States were speaking with one voice, there was no reason to believe that the current pandemic could not be overcome. The Vice-Chair of the Working Group said that in order to tackle enforced disappearance, the international community needed commitment and determination from all. The Working Group encouraged a multi-dimensional response to the regulation of private military and security companies. They concluded by urging States to adopt national legislation to regulate the activities of these actors, punish perpetrators, and provide redress for victims are part of these implementation efforts. There are several PMCs working in Sri Lanka, a report by Molfar, a Ukrainian consultancy, said in a catalogue of 37 Russian military companies working abroad. 7 min read. [11] Nonetheless, the Working Group believes that the information it has received points to several levels of foreigner engagement. Since 2005, the Human Rights Council has renewed the mandate of the Working Group several times, most recently in 2022 for a period of three years through resolution 51/13. Speakers said that the Independent Experts thematic report was comprehensive and presented a serious effort to collect constructive suggestions from diverse meaningful stakeholders. Ms. Amada Benavides de Prez (Colombia) 2005 - 2011 Mercenaries: Soldiers Who Fight For Money : NPR They called on States that were not yet parties to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance to accede to it, in order to send a clear message that this heinous crime was repudiated by the entire international community. The experts explained that, in the contexts in which they operate, the impacts of their actions are of grave concern. [15]The Working Group learned that much of recruitment of foreigners into various armed groups was undertaken through social media and other online communications, where information on the conflict as well as contact information for follow-up enlistment was readily available. Watch on YouTube. and Meetings, Mercenaries: UN experts final go at new international Convention draft, UN and Africa to discuss mercenaries and private military and security companies, Mercenaries: UN experts say that the Nissour Square killings in Iraq should not remain unpunished, "UN human rights experts encouraged by US Government efforts to increase oversight and accountability over private security contractors but, UN experts visit the United States Earlier this year, members of the United Nations' Working Group on the use of mercenaries called for investigations into crimes committed by Wagner Group fighters and Mali government forces. Replies from the ICC Prosecutor regarding the Situation in the State of Palestine Palais des Nations . Mercenaries still pose a serious threat to human rights, warns UN expert body (8 April 2011), Statement delivered on behalf of all Special Procedures mandate holders of the United Nations Human Rights Council at the Fifteenth Special Session of the Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (25 February 2011), Libya: Stop the massacre - UN experts In its report, the Working Group highlighted the transmission of 651 new cases of enforced disappearance to 30 States, including 86 cases transmitted under the urgent action procedure, to 19 States. It recommends for the Government of Ukraine to draw up a strategy and plan of action on foreign engagement in the armed conflict, within the framework of the Minsk Protocols. The Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the rights of peoples to self-determination was established in July 2005 pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2005/2. Some speakers said that the multilateral responses to the pandemic so far implemented had proven to be weak, partial or often free of substantial effects and they regretted the enduring inequities resulting from the unfair distribution of global public goods like vaccines. Russia-Ukraine war updates for June 23-24, 2023 - CNBC One speaker said that the multilateral system had always been a space for elites, excluding the majority of the world, and serving as a microcosm of the colonial, ableist, and patriarchal patterns they faced daily in societies. The split between the Kremlin and Prigozhin's Wagner forces raises questions about the future of the group's influence in those regions. In some cases, results might be obtained when concerted action was taken among different stakeholders. In certain circumstances defined by international law, enforced disappearances might constitute a crime against humanity. to discuss the use of private In an image taken from video, Wagner Group leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin is interviewed from an unspecified location on June 23 . Russia is also interested in securing access to Venezuela's oil. The UN Human Rights Office and the mechanisms we support work on a wide range of human rights topics. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights They reaffirmed their commitment to prevent such practices and to support the victims and their families in their search for truth, justice and reparations. Why did Wagner turn on Russia? What we know about the mercenary group As per thedisclaimer, neither the ICRC nor the authors can be identified with the opinions expressed in the Cases and Documents. The group has been a key piece of Russia's strategy in Ukraine, with Wagner forces being used to hold cities like Bakhmut. Concerning the Gambia, they had found that the Gambia had taken positive steps to move forward with the truth process; nonetheless, crucial actions to guarantee access to justice, remedy and reparation for victims were yet to materialise. Mali, which has grappled with an Islamic insurgency for over a decade, has seen its relations with the international community become strained in part because the current ruling junta has brought in mercenaries fromRussia's Wagner Group. In both Libya and Syria, Wagner Group fighters have been accused of torture, indiscriminate killing and other war crimes. United Nations A/HRC/15/25 General Assembly Distr. JELENA APARAC, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the United Nations Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the right of peoples to self-determination, presented the thematic report of the Working Group which highlighted the role of private military and security companies in humanitarian action. The Working Group learned that there have never been any prosecutions for the specific crime of mercenarism in Ukraine. PDF Why Private Military and Security Companies Should Be Regulated Other speakers noted with increasing concern that the Working Group continued to receive reports of the involvement of private military and security companies in human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, summary executions, indiscriminate killings, and sexual exploitation and abuse. The Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the rights of peoples to self-determination was established in July 2005 pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2005/2.It succeeded the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the use of mercenaries, which had been in existence since 1987. These vary from volunteers to paid service men and women, and from independent militia members to professional military. Henrikas Mickevicius, Vice-Chair of the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances, said that the atrocious crime of enforced or involuntary disappearance continued to exist. They were concerned about the persistence of enforced disappearances, which constituted extremely serious human rights violations. Joint online PI-OHCHR event on new report presented by Working Group on the use of mercenaries Does it depend on whether they are volunteers, paid servicemen/women, militia members, or military professionals. In Libya, the Wagner Group has acted as a standalone force supporting one side in thecountry's ongoing conflict. The Working Group also presented as an addendum the follow-up to the recommendations made by the Working Group following its visit to the Gambia, from 12 to 19 June 2017 and Albania, from 5 to 12 December 2016. Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries as a Means of Violating Human Rights and Impeding the Right of Peoples to Self-determination. 30 April 2010, Presentation made by UN Working Group on the Use Earning the nickname Putins chef, Prigozhin found other ways to make himself useful to Russias president. The governor of Russia's Lipetsk province said Saturday that the Wagner mercenary group has entered the region. Enforced disappearances were clear violations of human rights and those practices could not continue unchecked. The Working Group particularly appreciates the excellent support provided by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine in organizing and facilitating the visit. Working Group on Use of Mercenaries: the I ncreasing Number of Private Military and Security Companies Operating in the Humanitarian Space Exacerbates the Risk of Violations of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Council Concludes Dialogue with the Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order Mr. Anton Katz (South Africa), Ms. Najat Al-Hajjaji (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) 2005 - 2011 Some speakers firmly opposed and totally rejected the Working Group's use of inaccurate information and public denigration and urged it to work in an objective, impartial and non-selective manner. UN votes to immediately end its peacekeeping operation in Mali after a He recommended that States willing to take the matter further should cease to justify disappearances on the grounds of combatting terrorism; ensure that agreements - between a State which sought to bring a national to a country and a hosting State were in compliance with human rights; ensure the implementation of procedural guarantees; and carry out full comprehensive individual assessments. Similarly, in some of the texts used in the case studies, the facts may not always be proven;nevertheless, they have been selected because they highlight interesting IHL issues and are thus published for didactic purposes. Impunity for the human rights violations committed by the range of foreigners in armed formations is widespread and seemingly unquestioned, paving the way for a murky zone with negligible accountability. The panel of experts, which includes members of the UN Working Group on Mercenaries, said that Wagner's operations in Mali have been facilitated by 'a climate of terror and complete impunity.' Other speakers said that the use of private military and security companies in the humanitarian sphere was a highly complex issue, not only because of existing legal loopholes, but also because of the reluctance of a number of actors, including developed States, to address the human rights impact of the actions of such companies. Wagner Group, headed byYevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner Group is particularly active in Africa, including gold, manganese, silicon and uranium.
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