A/HRC/7/7 page 2 Summary 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 was established in July 2005 pursuant to resolution 2005/2 of the Commission on Human Rights. The Working Group is composed of Ms. Najat Al-Hajjaji (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya), Ms. Amada Benavides de Peréz (Colombia), Mr. José Luis Gómez del Prado (Spain), Mr. Alexander Nikitin (Russian Federation) and Ms. Shaista Shameem (Fiji). Mr. José Luis Gómez del Prado was elected as Chairperson-Rapporteur on 19 February 2007. The present report is presented in accordance with the terms of the resolution requesting that the Working Group report annually to the Human Rights Council on the progress made in the fulfilment of its mandate. Section I introduces the report and section II presents an overview of activities undertaken during the reporting period. The Working Group devotes a thematic section (section III) of the report to transnational issues, including the privatization of warfare, the activities of private military and security companies, and extraterritorial and accountability issues. Section IV addresses the status of the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries; the Working Group welcomes the accession of Cuba and Peru to this instrument during the period under review. In section V, the Working Group further describes future activities it envisages, in particular a process of regional consultations with States, leading to a global round table, and section VI contains its conclusions and recommendations. Inter alia, the Working Group recommends to Member States to support the process of regional consultations and to enable the Working Group to hold three annual sessions. It recommends regional and other intergovernmental organizations, in particular the European Union and the Organization of American States, to elaborate a common system to regulate private military and security companies exporting their services abroad. It urges Governments of States from which private military and security companies export military assistance, consultancy and security services to avoid granting immunity to these companies and their personnel.