Introduction. 1. At its fifth-sixth session, the Commission on Human Rights adopted resolution 2000/3 of 7 April 2000 in which

1. At its fifth-sixth session, the Commission on Human Rights adopted resolution 2000/3 of 7 April 2000 in which, among other things, it decided to consider at its fifty-seventh session the question of the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination. The Commission requested the Special Rapporteur to consult States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in the implementation of the current resolution and to report, with specific recommendations, his findings on the use of mercenaries to undermine the right to self-determination to the Commission at its fifty-seventh session.

2. The Commission reaffirmed 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. It recognized that armed conflicts, terrorism, arms trafficking and covert operations by third Powers, inter alia, encourage the demand for mercenaries on the global market. Furthermore, it urged 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 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.

3. The Commission invited States to investigate the possibility of mercenary involvement whenever and wherever criminal acts of a terrorist nature occur, urged all States to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur in the fulfilment of his mandate and requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the Special Rapporteur with all the necessary assistance and support for the fulfilment of his mandate. It reiterated its request to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as a matter of priority, to publicize the adverse effects of mercenary activities on the right of peoples to self‑determination and, when requested and where necessary, to render advisory services to States that are affected by the activities of mercenaries.

4. The Commission reiterated the importance of a clearer legal definition of mercenaries that would make for more efficient prevention and punishment of mercenary activities and decided to convene a workshop on the traditional and new forms of mercenary activities as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self‑determination. The Commission also called upon all States that had not yet done so to consider taking the necessary action to sign or ratify the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries.

5. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur wishes to report that he is continuing to analyse traditional and new forms of mercenary activities with a view to submitting proposals to the Commission on a clearer legal definition of mercenaries. He would add that the expert seminar convened by the Commission is being organized as this report is being drawn up, and is

scheduled to meet from 29 January to 2 February 2001. This seminar, as well as another to be held towards the end of the year, will examine international legislation and the current situation in this area in an effort to deal with new types of mercenary activities.

6. On 26 October 2000 the Third Committee of the General Assembly adopted resolution 55/86 entitled “Use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination”. In this resolution, the General Assembly requested the Special Rapporteur to report his findings on the use of mercenaries to undermine the right of peoples to self-determination, with specific recommendations, at its fifty-sixth session. The General Assembly, among other things, welcomed the adoption by some States of national legislation that restricted the recruitment, assembly, financing, training and transit of mercenaries, as well as the cooperation extended by those countries that had received visits from the Special Rapporteur.

7. In the light of the above, and pursuant to the provisions of resolution 2000/3, the Special Rapporteur has the honour to submit this report to the Commission on Human Rights for consideration at its fifty-seventh session.

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