Public Actions, Private Rules at the Margins: Ensuring Respect for Human Rights by Private Security Companies (RESpECT)

This project assesses the effectiveness of current international and national regulatory and policy frameworks that deal with private-security-related human rights violations against marginalised groups, which could include women, children, LGBTI and migrants.  RESpECT is a MSCA research project funded by the European Commission.

The objective of RESpECT is to assess the perceptions, understanding and effectiveness of current international and national regulatory and policy frameworks that deal with Private Security Companies (PSC)-related human rights violations against marginalised groups, using desk-top normative analysis and social research methods to gather empirical data to provide new insights into the area. These insights in turn have generated outputs and regulatory recommendations to help policymakers, governments, PSCs, auditors, and civil society actors to understand and improve public and private regulatory frameworks for PSCs with the aim of securing tangible benefits for those vulnerable and marginalised groups worst affected, such as women, children and migrants.

 

 

  1. Sorcha MacLeod (2023), 'The current regulatory landscape for Private Military and Security Companies' SIPRI Yearbook 2022, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, (OUP, 2023) [Forthcoming 2023]
  2. Sorcha MacLeod & Gabrielle Priklopilova (2022) Private Security, Human Rights, and COVID-19: Lessons Learned, UCPH/DCAF/Lund/CIVIC Policy Brief [Forthcoming 2023]
  3. Sorcha MacLeod & Daria Davitti, (2023), Principles for Responsible Contracts: PRC 6 Physical Security for the Project in B. Choudhury (ed.), The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: A Commentary (UK: Edward Elgar Publishing), p. 285-291 [publication March 2023] https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/the-un-guiding-principles-on-business-and-human-rights-9781800375666.html
  4. Daria Davitti, & Sorcha MacLeod, (2023), ‘Principles for Responsible Contracts: PRC 1 Preparation and Planning’ in B. Choudhury (ed.), The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: A Commentary (UK: Edward Elgar Publishing), p. 248-254 [publication March 2023] https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/the-un-guiding-principles-on-business-and-human-rights-9781800375666.html
  5. Sorcha MacLeod & Nelleke Van Amstel, (2022). ‘Private Military and Security Companies and Gendered Human Rights Challenges: Oversight or Blatant Disregard?’ Special Thematic Issue on “Gender dimensions of Business and Human Rights” Business and Human Rights Journal, 0, 1–7 doi: https://10.1017/bhj.2021.53
  6. Sorcha MacLeod (2022), in DCAF/Cristina Valdes (ed.), International Efforts to Address the Regulatory Gaps Regarding PMSCs, ‘A new wave? Addressing the contemporary use of private military and security companies in armed conflict and complex environments,’ 5 August 2022 https://dcaf.ch/index.php/new-wave-addressing-contemporary-use-private-military-and-security-companies-armed-conflict-and
  7. Daria Davitti and Sorcha MacLeod (2022) (Working Paper) ’Principles for Responsible Contracts, Principle 1: General State Regulatory and Policy Functions’ (May 17, 2022). Forthcoming in B. Choudhury (ed.), The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: A Commentary (UK: Edward Elgar Publishing), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4338875 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4338875
  8. Sorcha MacLeod and Daria Davitti (2022) (Working paper), ’Principles for Responsible Contracts PRC 6: Physical Security for the Project (May 17, 2022): https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4338838 
  9. Sorcha MacLeod (2022) ‘Human rights at the margins: intersectional inequalities within the private security sector’ in Lise Smit (ed), Human Rights Due Diligence and Systemic Inequalities: Conference Report, BIICL 2022: https://www.biicl.org/publications/human-rights-due-diligence-and-systemic-inequalities-conference-report
  10. 10. Sorcha MacLeod and Nelleke Van Amstel (2021): Gendered Human Rights Impacts in the Private Military and Security Sector in SSRN/CEPRI Working Paper Series, 2021. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3944166
  11. Sorcha MacLeod (2020) (Working Paper) ‘Private Security, Human Rights and COVID-19: Regulatory Challenges at the Margins,’ University of Copenhagen Faculty of Law Research Paper No. 99/SSRN Electronic Journal, 2020. https://ssrn.com/abstract=3716492 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3716492

 

[to be added]

 

 

  1. S.MacLeod (2022), Small Arms Survey Podcast #52: ‘Private Security Companies and Weapons & Ammunition Management’, Small Arms Survey/International Code of Conduct Association, 10 February 2022 (Podcast)
  2. S.MacLeod, (2020), ‘Private Security, Human Rights and Covid-19: Regulatory Challenges at the Margins’, UCLA The Promise Institute Podcast, Season 2 Episode 6, 3 December 2020 (podcast)
  3. S.MacLeod, (2020) International Code of Conduct Association Podcast Series Future Security Trends: Implications for Human Rights. ‘Human Rights & Security: Adapting to the Future’ 14 July 2020 (podcast)
  4. Sorcha MacLeod (2020), Private Security, Human Rights, and Covid-19 in EJIL:Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law, 2020: https://www.ejiltalk.org/private-security-human-rights-and-covid-19/
  5. Sorcha MacLeod (2020). ‘Private Military and Security Companies and the COVID-19 Pandemic’ University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Law Video Series: I lyset af COVID-19 De retlige konsekvenser af pandemien, 30 June 2020 (video)
  6. Sorcha MacLeod, (2020). ‘The Future of Regulation of the Private Security Sector,’ 7 February 2020 (blog)

 

 

  1. UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries: https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/wg-mercenaries
  2. International Code of Conduct Association: https://icoca.ch/
  3. Montreux Document Forum https://www.montreuxdocument.org/
  4. Open-ended intergovernmental working group to elaborate the content of an international regulatory framework, without prejudging the nature thereof, relating to the activities of private military and security companies: https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/pms-cs/igwg-index/3rd-session-igwg-military
  5. Women, Peace & Private Security Network: https://wppsnetwork.co.uk/

 

 

 

Researchers

Name Title Image
MacLeod, Sorcha Associate Professor Billede af MacLeod, Sorcha
Ulfbeck, Vibe Garf Head of Centre, Professor Billede af Ulfbeck, Vibe Garf

Contact

Vibe Garf UlfbeckPI Associate Professor
Sorcha MacLeod

JUR- CEPRI - Centre for
Private Governance
Karen Blixens Plads 16,
2300 København S

Phone: (45) 35 33 47 98
E-mail: sorcha.macleod@jur.ku.dk

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