How to Regulate Private Military Companies?

Abstract

This article presents a review of the currently debated options for
regulations of activities of private military companies (PMCs). This topic is a
matter of pondering in the foreign literature. It primarily reflects on the
massive use of PMCs in Iraq and Afghanistan, which, however, merely
illustrates the broader shortcomings resulting from the prolonged absence
of clearly defined and enforceable mechanisms for the monitoring and
control of the accountability, transparency and e!ectiveness of PMCs’
activities. The goal of this article is therefore not only to present the
practical, legal, economic, and political pros and cons of the possible
regulation frameworks, but also to illustrate why it is still so difficult to
reach a consensus on a regulation framework that would be acceptable to
all the relevant actors.