“The monograph aims to contribute to the global debate around mercenaries, PSCs and PMCs that is earnestly seeking to influence the determination of universal norms and standards by states, especially with regard to the use of PSCs and PMCs, as there are as yet no universally accepted definitions
in existence. In fact, the most obvious feature of the contributions in this monograph is a critique of the definition of who a ‘mercenary’ is. In a speech on the use of mercenaries, which violates human rights and impedes the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination, the then special rapporteur, Enrique Bernales Ballesteros (2004, paras 37, 41), identified the absence of a clear, unambiguous and comprehensive legal definition of a ‘mercenary’ as one of the greatest challenges in combating mercenary activities.”
