ISS Conference, Addis Ababa: Involvement of the Private Security Sector in Humanitarian Assistance Operations

Date: 2011-09-14 to 2011-09-15

Venue: , Institute for Security Studies, Get House Building 6th floor, Africa Avenue , Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

CONFERENCE REPORT

on

The Involvement of the private security sector in humanitarian assistance operations in Africa

By

Michon Motzouris

a Collaboration between

African Conflict Prevention Programme - Addis Ababa and

Security Sector Governance Programme - Pretoria

Institute for Security Studies, Get House Building, Africa Avenue

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

September 14 and 15, 2011

Day 1: 14 September 2011

WELCOMING ADDRESS

AMBASSADOR OLUSEGUN AKINSANYA

The conference began with a welcoming address by Ambassador Olusegun Akinsanya, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Addis Ababa Office Director. In his address, the Ambassador emphasized the importance of the debate on the involvement of the private security industry in humanitarian assistance operations and cautioned that such involvement had implications to peace and security in Africa. He noted that the outsourcing of security-related tasks to private security actors in humanitarian assistance operations presented a number of ethical, operational and strategic challenges in Africa. The Ambassador criticized the lack of effective oversight mechanisms, either regulatory or sustainable systems to monitor the activities within the private military and security industry.  

Ambassador Akinsanya emphasized that the main purpose of the conference was to build a knowledge foundation for the improved understanding of the role of the private security sector in humanitarian assistance operations, particularly in Africa. He stated that the conference was, among other things, aimed at examining the African Union (AU) normative and institutional framework related to PMSCs (if any), particularly in the context of the recent uprisings in North Africa, especially Libya. He further stated that the conference sought to engender a robust debate aimed at fashioning an appropriate regulatory regime for private military and security companies’ (PMSCs’) engagement in Africa, especially as relates to humanitarian assistance.

Ambassador Akinsanya concluded his address by making special mention of Ms Njeri Karuru, Senior Programme Specialist from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Mr Jose Luiz Gomez Del Prado, Chairperson of the United Nations (UN) 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. The Ambassador finally welcomed dignitaries, AU Officials, representatives of the diplomatic core, as well as friends of the ISS to the conference, and wished all attendees very successful deliberations.

For the full report, download the PDF document below