Empresas militares y de seguridad privadas, responsabilidad de los Estados y Derecho internacional humanitario: Hacia una definición interdisciplinar
| Autor | Mario Urueña-Sánchez, Héctor Olásolo |
| Cargo | PhD in Law, Universidad del Rosario. Studies in Political Science, University of Quebec in Montreal (Canada). / Degree and PhD in Law, Universidad de Salamanca (Spain); Master of Laws, Columbia University (USA). |
| Páginas | 135-160 |
MARIO URUEÑA-SÁNCHEZ*
HÉCTOR OLÁSOLO**
Private Military and Security Companies,
Responsibility of States and International
Humanitarian Law: Toward an
Interdisciplinary Definition***-****
Empresas militares y de seguridad
privadas, responsabilidad de los Estados
y Derecho internacional humanitario:
Hacia una definición interdisciplinar
ABSTRACT
The aim of the article is two-fold. First, to identify the elements that distin-
guish private military and security companies (PMSCs) from other entities.
Second, to propose a definition of PMSCs under international humanitarian
law (IHL). The hypothesis of the study is that the type of military services
* PhD in Law, Universidad del Rosario. Studies in Political Science, University of Quebec
in Montreal (Canada). Masters in Geopolitics and Global Security, University of Rome ‘La Sa-
pienza’ (Italy). Political Scientist, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Professor of International
Law, Universidad del Rosario. Bogotá (Colombia). Email: mario.uruena@urosario.edu.co ORCID
ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8040-6240.
** Degree and PhD in Law, Universidad de Salamanca (Spain); Master of Laws, Columbia
University (USA). Prof. Olásolo is currently Chair in International Law at Universidad del Rosa-
rio (Colombia), where he directs the Master Program in International Law and the International
Law Clinic. He chairs the Ibero-American Institute of The Hague for Peace, Human Rights and
International Justice (The Netherlands) since 2011 and is senior lecturer at The Hague University
of Applied Sciences (The Netherlands). Prof. Olasolo has also served as Chair in International
Criminal Law at the University of Utrecht (The Netherlands, 2010–2012) and has been a legal
officer at the International Criminal Court (2004–2010), a member of the Office of the Prosecutor
of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (2002–2004) and legal advisor
to the Spanish delegation to the Preparatory Commission of the International Criminal Court
(1999–2002). Email: hectorolasolo@gmail.com ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9724-0163.
*** This work is part of the Research Project “Aproximación a la comprensión del compor-
tamiento de las redes de narcotráfico marítimo, incluyendo las prácticas de corrupción asociadas
al mismo, desde el marco evolutivo, a partir de la simulación de sistemas sociales”(reference
number: Minciencias (Colombia) 71861: 2020-2023), co-financed by the “Patrimonio Autónomo
Fondo Nacional de Financiamiento para la Ciencia, la Tecnología y la Innovación Francisco José
de Caldas” (Colombia) and the Faculty of International, Political and Urban Studies (FEIPU) of
the Universidad del Rosario (Bogotá, Colombia). The Project is part of the Research Program
“Estrategia de respuesta integrada desde el derecho público comparado e internacional para en-
Revista Derecho del Estado n.º 56, mayo - agosto de 2023, pp. 135-160
136 Mario Urueña-Sánchez - Hector Olasolo
Revista Derecho del Estado n.º 57, september-december 2023, pp. 135-160
provided by PMSCs, their direct participation in hostilities and the so-called
‘three externalities’ are the core elements of PMSCs and provide a solid basis
for their definition in IHL.
The research methodology applied is based upon the interpretivist epis-
temological orientation, which is reflected through an open research ques-
tion which seeks to examine a range of elements and observable processes
which contribute to determining the result. To do this, the research question
is formulated in such a way that the proposed analysis illustrates the way in
which social and international agents represent “the world” and an object of
study (PMSCs and their personnel) through their intersubjective interpretations.
This is preferred by methodological pluralism and interdisciplinary focuses.
KEYWORDS
Private Military and Security Companies, military services, direct participation
in hostilities, international humanitarian law, States’ international responsibility.
RESUMEN
El objetivo del artículo es doble. En primer lugar, identificar los elementos
que distinguen a las Compañías militares y de seguridad privadas (CMSP) de
otras entidades. En segundo lugar, proponer una definición de las CMSP en
el derecho internacional humanitario (DIH). La hipótesis del estudio es que
el tipo de servicios militares prestados por las CMSP, su participación directa
en las hostilidades y las llamadas “tres externalidades” son los elementos
centrales de las CMSP y brindan una base sólida para su definición en el DIH.
La metodología de investigación aplicada se basa en la orientación epis-
temológica interpretativista, la cual se refleja a través de una pregunta de
investigación abierta que busca examinar una serie de elementos y procesos
observables que contribuyen a determinar el resultado. Para ello, la pregunta
frentar en Colombia la corrupción asociada al crimen transnacional organizado, a la luz de una
aproximación evolutiva a las dinámicas del narcotráfico marítimo por medio de simulación de
sistemas sociales” (reference number: Minciencias 70593: 2020-2023), led by Prof. Héctor Ola-
solo (Faculty of Law of the Universidad del Rosario) as principal researcher. The Ibero-American
Institute of The Hague for Peace, Human Rights and International Justice (The Netherlands)
also supports financially the publication of the collective books of the Research Network on
Responses to Corruption linked to Transnational Organized Crime, which was established in
2020 for the implementation of Research Program 70593.
**** Received on March 21st, 2023, approved on June 27th, 2023.
To quote the article: Urueña-Sánchez, M. & Olásolo, H. Private Military and Security
Companies, Responsibility of States and International Humanitarian Law: Toward an Interdis-
ciplinary Definition. In Revista Derecho del Estado, Universidad Externado de Colombia. No.
57, September – December, 2023, 135-160.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18601/01229893.N57.06
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