A/HRC/39/49 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 13 July 2018 Original: English Human Rights Council Thirty-ninth session 10–28 September 2018 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 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 Note by the Secretariat The Secretariat has the honour to transmit to the Human Rights Council the 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. The report covers the activities of the Working Group from September 2017 to July 2018 and focuses on the recruitment of children by non-State armed groups, including mercenaries and private military and security companies. In addressing this issue, the Working Group refers to the international legal framework and non-binding initiatives on the use of children in armed conflicts and presents some of its findings from past country visits. It also addresses issues, including recruitment practices and motivational factors, that result in children being associated with non-State armed groups. The report highlights the human rights impact of this phenomenon and provides recommendations addressed to States, private military and security companies, non-State armed groups, the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers’ Association and the Montreux Document Forum. GE.18-11624(E) 