A/HRC/22/41 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 24 December 2012 Original: English Human Rights Council Twenty-second session Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Report of the open-ended intergovernmental working group to consider the possibility of elaborating an international regulatory framework on the regulation, monitoring and oversight of the activities of private military and security companies on its second session Chair-Rapporteur: Abdul S. Minty (South Africa) Summary The Human Rights Council decided, in its resolution 15/26, to establish an openended intergovernmental working group with the mandate to consider the possibility of elaborating an international regulatory framework, including the option of elaborating a legally binding instrument on the regulation, monitoring and oversight of the activities of private military and security companies, including their accountability, taking into consideration the principles, main elements and draft text as proposed by the 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 Human Rights Council also decided that the open-ended intergovernmental working group should hold one session of five working days a year for a period of two years. The first session was held from 23 to 27 May 2011. A full summary of the session is contained in document A/HRC/WG.10/1/4. The second session took place from 13 to 17 August 2012. A summary of the second session, together with the conclusions and recommendations of the open-ended intergovernmental working group, is reflected in the present report. GE.12-18942