A/HRC/27/50 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 30 June 2014 Original: English Human Rights Council Twenty-seventh session Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Annual report of 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 Chairperson/Rapporteur: Patricia Arias Summary The present report presents an overview of the Working Group’s activities during the period under review, including regular sessions of the Working Group, communications and country visits. The thematic part of the report presents the findings of the Working Group’s ongoing global study of national laws and regulations relating to private military and/or security companies (PMSCs). In the present report, the Working Group focuses on laws and regulations of eight francophone countries in Africa, namely Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia as well as those of eight countries in the Asia region, namely China, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. The Working Group’s global study aims to assess existing national laws regarding PMSCs and their effectiveness in protecting human rights and promoting accountability for violations. Furthermore, it aims at identifying common points, good practices and regulatory gaps that may exist. The Working Group observes that, while there are common elements in the laws of these countries, diverse contexts at the national level affect the way in which PMSCs are regulated and the regulatory approach of each country significantly varies. The Working Group reiterates the need for effective regulation of the activities of PMSCs and invites all Member States to facilitate its study of national legislation, which aims to identify trends and good practices and to develop guidance for Member States in exercising effective oversight of the activities of PMSCs. GE.14-06904 (E) *1406904*