EU Statement - HRC60 - Interactive dialogue with Working Group on mercenaries

EU Statement - HRC60 - Interactive dialogue with Working Group on mercenaries

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
60th session

Interactive dialogue with Working Group on mercenaries

15 September 2025

EU statement

Thank you, Chair.

The EU thanks the Working group for their report.

We agree that the use of mercenaries poses a threat to international peace and security and contributes to human rights abuses and to violations of international humanitarian law. We remain concerned that some non-State actors and some unincorporated private military and security entities, in particular the Wagner Group, an armed group affiliated to Russia, have undertaken an increasingly destabilising role in various parts of the world.

We share the concerns regarding abuses documented in the report, including land grabbing, forced displacement, environmental damage, and violence against human rights defenders.

The EU has adopted restrictive measures against certain persons and entities involved in mercenary activities mainly due to their involvement in human rights abuses.

Mercenaries are specifically defined under international law. As we have previously highlighted, the Working Group's work would be more effective if its scope focused more clearly on mercenaries and mercenary-related activities, while avoiding conflation with Private Military and Security Companies.

Chair-Rapporteur,

We take note of the Working Group's recommendation for stronger regulatory frameworks, transparency in supply chains, and accountability mechanisms. What good practices can ensure that resource revenues benefit local communities, including through due diligence, corporate social responsibility, and effective operational-level grievance mechanisms?

I thank you.