Private Security Companies (PSCs)
Around the globe, individuals, communities, local businesses, government agencies, large corporations, and powerful militaries are increasingly outsourcing aspects of their security to private entities. Private security companies (PSCs) refer to legally registered business entities that provide, on a contractual basis, security and/or military services, regardless of whether they operate in situations of conflict. Information on PSC arms holdings and controls over them is scarce, reflecting a broader lack of transparency in the sector. Some PSCs have been involved in illegal acquisition and possession of firearms, have lost weapons through theft, and have used their small arms against civilians. Available information remains anecdotal, however, and makes it challenging to measure PSC performance over time or compare it to that of state security forces.
PSC firearms warrant close scrutiny as the sector is growing rapidly, which could increase the risk of arms diversion and misuse should regulation not keep pace with industry growth. The Small Arms Survey studies the private security sector with a view to expanding the knowledge base on PSC firearm holdings and the effectiveness of controls over them. Two chapters published in the 2011 Small Arms Survey Yearbook provide a first global overview of PSC firearm holdings and associated control mechanisms, and an analysis of the issues arising from the use of PSCs by multinational corporations. A forthcoming chapter in the Small Arms Survey 2012 will examine issues related to the management and use of firearms by maritime PSCs.
Small Arms Survey Publications
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A Booming Business: Private Security and Small Arms, by Nicolas Florquin, 2011. In Small Arms Survey, Small Arms Survey 2011: States of Security.
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Protected but Exposed: Multinationals and Private Security, by Elizabeth Umlas, 2011. In Small Arms Survey, Small Arms Survey 2011: States of Security.
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Reforming the Ranks: Public Security in a Divided Côte d'Ivoire, by Savannah de Tessières, 2011. In Small Arms Survey, Small Arms Survey 2011: States of Security.
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Private Security Companies’ Firearms Stockpiles, March 2011. Research Note No. 4, Armed Actors.
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Other Publications
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Wilton Park. 2012. Countering Piracy: What are the Rights and Obligations of States and Private Security Providers? Wilton Park Conference Report, 30 January–1 February 2012. Steyning: Wilton Park.
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CoESS (Confederation of European Security Services). 2012. Private Security Services in Europe - CoESS Facts and Figures 2011. Wemmel: Confederation of European Security Services.
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Abrahamsen, Rita and Michael Williams. 2009. Security Beyond the State: Global Security Assemblages in International Politics. International Political Sociology, Vol. 3, pp. 1–17.
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Rosemann, Nils. 2008. Code of Conduct: Tool for Self-Regulation for Private Military and Security Companies. Occasional Paper No. 15. Geneva: Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces.
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HRF (Human Rights First). 2008. Private Security Contractors at War: Ending the Culture of Impunity. New York and Washington, DC: HRF.
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Instruments and Documents
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UN ECOSOC (UN Economic and Social Council). Civilian private security services: their oversight and their role in and contribution to crime prevention and community safety. Prepared for the 20th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, Vienna, 11-15 April 2011. E/CN.15/2011/14 of 20 January 2011.
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FDFA (Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs). 2010. International Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers.
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FDFA (Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs) and ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross). 2008. The Montreux Document on pertinent international legal obligations and good practices for States related to operations of private military and security companies during armed conflict. Berne: FDFA and ICRC. 17 September.
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