RUSI Expert Concludes UN Mission to Colombia on Mercenary Recruitment
Dr Joana de Deus Pereira, RUSI Senior Research Fellow and Independent Mandate Holder appointed by the UN Human Rights Council as the Western Europe Member of the UN Working Group on Mercenaries, has concluded a 12-day country visit to Colombia, upon the invitation of the Government of Colombia.
The mission involved high-level meetings with government officials, civil society leaders, victims' groups, and private sector stakeholders across the country, culminating in a press conference at the UN OCHA offices in Bogotá.
The UN Working Group’s mission to Colombia emphasises how critical it is to tackle the evolving nature of mercenary recruitment and its transnational drivers. Our findings will inform global efforts to safeguard human rights and accountability within the security sector. I appreciate RUSI’s consistent support, which enables me to perform my UN functions with full independence and institutional freedom.
Dr Joana de Deus Pereira
Senior Research Fellow
The Working Group commended Colombia's ratification of the 1989 International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries, and its adoption of new anti-mercenary legislation, a pioneering step that sets a regional precedent. However, the mission also issued evidence-based warnings about the alarming surge in recruitment, with over 10,000 Colombians. many of them ex-combatants or economically vulnerable youth, lured into foreign armed conflicts, frequently through deceptive online platforms and social media.
A comprehensive report with concrete recommendations for States, UN bodies, and the private sector will be presented to the Human Rights Council in September 2026.
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FEATURING
Dr Joana de Deus Pereira
Senior Research Fellow
RUSI Europe
