Extremely alarmed and concerned about recent mercenary activities in developing countries in various parts of the world, in particular in areas of conflict, and the threat they pose to the integrity and respect of the constitutional order of the affected countries, Convinced that, notwithstanding the way in which mercenaries or mercenary-related activities are used or the form they take to acquire a semblance of legitimacy, they are a threat to peace, security and the self-determination of peoples and an obstacle to the enjoyment of human rights by peoples, 1. Reaffirms that the use of mercenaries and their recruitment, financing and training are causes for grave concern to all States and violate the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations; 2. Recognizes that armed conflicts, terrorism, arms trafficking and covert operations by third powers, inter alia, encourage the demand for mercenaries on the global market; 3. Urges all States to take the necessary steps and to exercise the utmost vigilance against the menace posed by the activities of mercenaries, and to take legislative measures to ensure that their territories and other territories under their control, as well as their nationals, are not used for the recruitment, assembly, financing, training and transit of mercenaries for the planning of activities designed to impede the right to self-determination, to overthrow the Government of any State or to dismember or impair, totally or in part, the territorial integrity or political unity of sovereign and independent States conducting themselves in compliance with the right to self-determination of peoples; 4. Requests all States to exercise the utmost vigilance against any kind of recruitment, training, hiring or financing of mercenaries by private companies offering international military consultancy and security services, and to impose a specific ban on such companies intervening in armed conflicts or actions to destabilize constitutional regimes; 5. Calls upon all States that have not yet done so to consider taking the necessary action to become parties to the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries; 6. Welcomes the cooperation extended by those countries that received a visit by the Working Group and the adoption by some States of national legislation that restricts the recruitment, assembly, financing, training and transit of mercenaries; 7. Invites States to investigate the possibility of mercenary involvement whenever and wherever criminal acts of a terrorist nature occur; 8. Condemns recent mercenary activities in developing countries in various parts of the world, in particular in areas of conflict, and the threat they pose to the integrity of and respect for the constitutional order of these countries and the exercise of the right to self-determination of their peoples, and commends the Governments of Africa for their collaboration in thwarting these illegal actions; 9. Calls upon the international community, in accordance with its obligations under international law, to cooperate with and assist the judicial prosecution of those accused of mercenary activities in transparent, open and fair trials; 2