Nizkor Int. Human Rights Team
Derechos Human Rights
Serpaj Europe
Information
[ii) messages]
02Nov01

i) HUMAN RIGHTS RAPPORTEUR WELCOMES THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE
CONVENTION AGAINST THE RECRUITMENT, USE, FINANCING AND TRAINING OF
MERCENARIES.

The Special Rapporteur on the use of mercenaries of the Commission on
Human Rights, Enrique Bernales Ballesteros, has welcomed the entry into
force on 20 October 2001 of the International Convention against the
Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries.

The Convention was adopted by the General Assembly on 4 December 1989.
Twenty-two States have completed the constitutional procedures necessary
to indicate their willingness to be bound by the instrument. Those
States are: Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belarus, Cameroon, Costa Rica,
Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Italy, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Suriname, Togo, Turkmenistan,
Ukraine, Uruguay and Uzbekistan. Nine other States have signed the
Convention, but have not yet ratified it. They are: Angola, Congo,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Germany, Morocco, Nigeria, Poland,
Romania and Yugoslavia.

'The International Convention confirms the legal nature of the many
resolutions and declarations by the United Nations condemning mercenary
activities and activities linked to mercenaries, states that the
recruitment, use, financing and training of mercenaries should be
considered as offences of grave concern to all States, and that any
person committing any of these offences should be cited, prosecuted or
extradited', the Special Rapporteur said. 'The entry into force of the
Convention will increase and extend cooperation among States in
eradicating such activities and will promote observance of the purposes
and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations'.

The Special Rapporteur also called on States to ratify the International
Convention without delay. 'The International Convention will make
international cooperation among States in preventing, prosecuting and
punishing these crimes more effective, particularly in these difficult
times in which the international community must take into account the
connection existing between terrorism and mercenary activities, as well
as the participation of mercenaries in criminal acts of a terrorist
nature', he said.

According to Mr. Ballesteros, the Convention reaffirms the purposes and
principles enshrined in Articles 1 and 2 of the Charter of the United
Nations and in the Declaration on Principles of International Law
concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance
with the Charter of the United Nations (General Assembly resolution 2625
(XXV), of 24 October 1970).

General Assembly, Third Committee, 31 October 2001, 26th Meeting (AM)]
------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------
RELATED LINKS:
- International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and
Training of Mercenaries - A/RES/44/34, 72nd plenary meeting, 4 December
1989.
http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/44/a44r034.htm
- Documents on Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on
use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of
peoples to self-determination
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/7/b/mmer.htm
- The January 2001 Report by the Special Rapporteur on the use of
mercenaries of the Commission on Human Rights is available on:
http://www.unhchr.ch/SearchForm.nsf/SymbolNumberSearchEng?OpenForm
by entering the Document Symbol Number "E/CN.4/2001/19" in the search
box.
- Colombia: Outsourcing War
http://www.public-i.org/story_03a_071201.htm
- DynCorp In Colombia: Outsourcing the Drug War
http://www.corpwatch.org/issues/military/featured/2001/dyncorp.html
- Intelligence and Extermination Networks in Barrancabermeja,
Colombia.[SPA/ESP]
http://www.derechos.org/nizkor/colombia/libros/redes/index.html
- Organization and Operation of Intelligence Networks - Colombian Armed
Forces Directive No. 200-05/91.
http://www.derechos.org/nizkor/colombia/doc/directive.htm
- The Office of the High Commissionner for Human Rights report on the HR
situation in Colombia is available on:
http://www.unhchr.ch/SearchForm.nsf/SymbolNumberSearchEng?OpenForm
by entering the Document Symbol Number [ E/CN.4/2001/15 ] in the search
box.
--
FIN DEL MENSAJE END OF MESAGGE EINDE BERICHT FIM DA MENSAGEM FINE
DEL MESSAGGIO ENDE NACHRICHT FIN DEL MENSAJE END OF MESAGGE
EINDE BERICHT FIM DA MENSAGEM FINE DEL MESSAGGIO ENDE NACHRICHT
************************************************************************

This Information is edited and disseminated by Nizkor International
Human Rights Team.
Nizkor is a member of the Peace and Justice Service-Europe (Serpaj),
Derechos Human Rights (USA) and GILC (Global Internet Liberty Campaign).

PO Box 156037 - 28080 - Madrid - Spain. Telephone: +34.91.526.7502
Fax: +34.91.526.7515 Mailto: [email protected]
http://www.equiponizkor.org
If you do not wish to receive Information messages send "unsubscribe" as
subject.
***********************************************************************

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: Materials by sources other than Derechos distributed in this
mailing list do not necessarily imply the endorsement of Derechos
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected]
For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
If you need help, e-mail: [email protected]