The Emergence of Private Military Firms and Their Impact on Global Human Rights

Abstract

International law has generally been considered by the students of law as a subject with little practical relevance. However, the importance of international law in legal practice is increasingly being recognized in recent years. This may, in great measure, be attributed to the impact of globalization. Great strides in the field of commerce, technology and communication make one doubt whether transnational boundaries are going to disappear. Environmental concerns and human rights issues really transcend state borders and assume global dimensions. International law and international institutions have to play a dynamic role in response to the new challenges. In the current situation, the study of international law can no more remain uninspiring.Arising out of the dying embers of the Cold War, private military firms (PMFs) market their military force and skills primarily to decolonialized States, countries overrun with domestic conflict and unable to provide effectively for their own security needs. As a result, PMFs amass unchecked power to affect conflict resolution, world economic stability, and geostrategic negotiations. Indeed, as corporations become larger - both economically and politically - corporate managers increasingly engage in decision-making traditionally exercised by politicians. The decentralization of international security from state-organized militaries not only threatens the traditional Westphalian model of state-monopolized force, but also accentuates the inability of international law to hold private actors accountable for their unchecked violation of basic human rights in conflict ridden regions.