From Mercenaries to Market: The Rise and Regulation of Private Military Companies

by Simon Chesterman (editor), Chia Lehnardt (Editor)

Frequently characterized as either mercenaries in modern guise or the market's response to a security vacuum, private military companies are commercial firms offering military services ranging from combat and military training and advice to logistical support, and play an increasingly important role in armed conflicts, UN peace operations, and providing security in unstable states.

As private military companies assume more responsibilities in conflict and post-conflict settings, their growing significance raises fundamental questions about their nature, their role in different regions and contexts, and their regulation. This volume examines the interaction between regulation and market forces and analyzes the current legal framework and the needs and possibilities for regulation in the years ahead.

320 pages, Paperback

First published July 12, 2007

About the author

Simon Chesterman is David Marshall Professor and Vice Provost (Educational Innovation) at the National University of Singapore, where he is also the founding Dean of NUS College. Educated in Melbourne, Beijing, and Oxford, he has lived and worked in Singapore since 2006. Simon is the author or editor of more than twenty books, including the young adult Raising Arcadia trilogy and the standalone I, Huckleberry. The novel Artifice is his first work of general fiction.