War Criminals for Hire: The Role and Accountability of Mercenaries in Modern Armed Conflicts
War Criminals for Hire: The Role and Accountability of Mercenaries in Modern Armed Conflicts
20 September 2023
10-11 am
Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
Room: XXV
The panelists will discuss the role played by mercenary groups in international and non-international armed conflicts in recent years. The event will seek to highlight the gaps in holding these actors and their backers to account, and the challenges that practitioners have encountered in curbing mercenary activities and responding to the suffering they have caused. Finally, the panelists will recommend ways forward to operationalize and/or strengthen the framework for responding to mercenary activities, including options for combatting the impunity that mercenary forces have enjoyed through the pursuit of accountability. The focus of discussions will be on various regions including Syria, Central African Republic, Mali, and Ukraine.
Agenda
Opening Remarks:
Mr. Chris Kwaja, Member of the UN Working Group on the use of Mercenaries
Moderator:
Antonia Mulvey, Executive Director, Legal Action Worldwide
Panelists:
- Mohammad Al Abdallah, Executive Director, Syria Justice and Accountability Centre
- Dmitry Gurin, Legal Advisor, European Prison Litigation Network
- Jelena Aparac, Head of Advocacy, Policy, and Research, Legal Action Worldwide, Former member and Chair-Rapporteur of the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries
- Yousuf Syed Khan, Senior Lawyer, Global Rights Compliance
- Mikiko Otani, Member, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
Closing Remarks:
Mr. Chris Kwaja, Member of the UN Working Group on the use of Mercenaries