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Article

4 May 2013

Author:
Kyodo News International

U.N. hiring of armed contractors raises concern about rights abuses

The United Nations has hired more than 30 armed private security contractors for its operations in volatile security regions but the arrangement has irked some member countries who voiced concern about possible human rights abuses and illegal actions in a...General Assembly meeting. The assembly...passed a resolution at its April 12 plenary session stressing that private armed security services be used only as an "exceptional measure."...Diplomats said that in the course of discussions at the General Assembly's Fifth Committee on administration and budgetary matters, member states raised questions about issues such as whether there have been past incidents of rights abuses by contracted security personnel as well as criteria for selecting contractors...The resolution says those contractors should be used as a "last resort" in "high-risk environments" only when "other alternatives...are inadequate." [refers to Blackwater, G4S]