OSS studies on the evolution and development mode of PSCs
An analysis report on the evolution and development model of private security institutions by
Ms. Wang mengting & Dr. ZHOU Zhanggui
With the development of globalization, non-traditional security threats, such as terrorism, transnational organized crime, financial crisis and ecological environment deterioration, are becoming more and more serious, showing a trend of regional spread and global outbreak. The transnational and long-term nature of these global problems makes it difficult for sovereign states to deal with them independently or in the short term. With the increase of Security threats, Private Security Company (PSC) emerged. It is driven by profits and provides customers with a wide range of services including military and security services, including personnel and enterprise asset protection, risk assessment, logistics supply, military training, intelligence gathering, hostage rescue and other services.
Private security goes back to the west: mercenaries vs. security
1. Private military institutions and mercenaries in the history of the west
Western private military service organizations existed as mercenaries in the early days. Mercenaries are a very old profession. There are accounts of mercenaries in biblical times. From the peloponnesian war to the American revolution, mercenaries can be found. After the treaty of Westphalia at the end of the 17th century, the nation-state became the main actor in international relations, "the state became the only one with legitimate power over force and violence", the military service system of all countries gradually improved, and the privately-owned armed forces such as mercenaries gradually lost the market. A UN resolution in 2003 banned the legal existence of foreign mercenaries, making private security firms more "client friendly", sophisticated, well-trained and "plug-and-play", often more effective than the army and police.
Private military companies first appeared in the 1940s. Virginia-based Dyncorp International was founded in 1946 to provide technical and logistical support to the U.S. military during the Korean and Vietnam wars. After the cold war the balance of power between the superpowers was broken, the international security vacuum was broken, and globalization accelerated the development of private military security companies. Since the 1970s, Britain and the United States have largely outsourced military services to private military companies that were once state monopolies. In the 1990s, the great disarmament wave spawned a new wave of private security firms. Since 9/11, private military companies and private security firms have grown, serving more than 1.43 times the number of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2004, the United States reportedly spent 10 percent of its federal budget, about $275 billion, to buy security services from private military and security companies.
2. The private security service organization in the history of China: the security bureau
In China, the security bureau is the prototype of a private security company. China has a security culture that originated in the song dynasty, developed in the yuan and Ming dynasties and flourished in the qing dynasty. The security bureau USES martial arts to protect money or personal safety, and its business mainly includes two types: one is to transport goods and funds called darts. One is the home care home, the support logistics, known as sitting darts. The former is divided into six categories, namely, letter dart, ticket dart, silver dart, food dart, object dart and personal dart. The latter is divided into nursing homes, sitting shops and vigils according to different purposes. Therefore, the ancient security bureau can be regarded as a commercial organization integrating express delivery and security services. By the beginning of the People's Republic, the security bureau had expanded its operations to protect large commercial areas. The most important thing for the security bureau is credibility. Some security bureaus, because of their strong strength and good reputation, have a steady flow of business, they will set up branches in different areas. By the end of the qing dynasty, with the emergence of guns and ammunition and the absolute superiority of cold weapons such as swords and knives, many security bureaus in Beijing began to be equipped with guns more or less.
Due to the particularity of the security bureau industry, the opening of the security bureau requires the recognition and support of the government. If the security bureau has a hard background in the government, the amount of business and the status of the security bureau are not comparable to other security agencies. There is also a special legal system for the security bureau. Every dart must be accompanied by a pass issued by the government before it can be used. After the 1920s, the warlords in the early republic of China fought against each other, and the domestic political economy and instability caused the security industry and related industrial property rights and their contracts to be unstable, and the security bureau began to decline.
Modern private security companies
In 2008, the United Nations related to "use mercenaries human rights abuses and undermine national self-determination" of the working group adopted the concept of "private military and security companies", the essence of the mercenaries is directly involved in hostile ACTS of violence to get money, and private military security company is a separate legal concept, is a kind of can get the international community, especially its nationality legal regulation organization. Although the Montreux Document signed in 2008 is not legally binding under international law, it re-emphasizes the international legal obligations of relevant countries and companies and provides some good practices for state supervision and company operation.
In 2011, launched by 58 large private security company signed and passed "the private security company the international code of conduct", means that the private security company after admitting the montreux documents "and" protect, respect and compensation "framework for action on the basis of forming a mature discipline commitment: private security company will agree with the principles of action together, into the service standards, management and supervision mechanism, in order to provide security services in a responsible way, abide by the rule of law, respect for human rights, and to protect the interests of the client - this is a community for its own legitimacy identification tag significantly. In the case of the United Nations, private military companies are involved in humanitarian relief and peacekeeping operations such as security and rescue, military training, logistics support, technical support and material distribution. In order to ensure the flexibility and initiative of its mandate, the United Nations is sometimes more inclined to choose private military companies.
Ii. Montreux document and private security company definition
In 2006, the government of Switzerland and the international committee of the Red Cross launched an initiative to promote respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law by private military and security services companies operating in situations of armed conflict. In 2008 17 countries signed the montreux document on private military and security services (hereinafter referred to as the montreux document). The montreux document seeks two main objectives :(1) to reaffirm and, where necessary, clarify the obligations of states, private security companies and their personnel within the framework of existing international law, particularly those based on international humanitarian law and international human rights law; (2) to identify good practices and regulatory practices to assist countries in promoting private security companies to respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law. By 2015, 51 countries and three international organizations had signed the montreux document. It is important to understand the terminology used in the montreux document and its specific definitions in the document.
1. Private security company
The term "private security company" refers to a private commercial entity providing military and/or security services, no matter how they are called. Military and security services, in particular, include armed security guards and protection personnel and goods, such as transport teams, buildings and other sites; Maintenance and operation of weapon systems; Detention of prisoners; Provide advice or training to local forces and security personnel.
The montreux document does not attempt to classify companies. Instead, it seeks to promote respect for international humanitarian and human rights law in any enterprise that provides military and security services in armed conflict. Private security companies often provide both military and security services, and even other services. It doesn't matter that a private security firm considers itself part of a "military" or "security" company -- what matters is the nature of the activities carried out in a given situation. Furthermore, the montreux document is not limited to military or security services involving the use of weapons; It is also related to services such as training the army, intelligence and interrogating prisoners.
2. "personnel of private security companies"
The term "personnel of a private security company" means persons employed, directly rented or appointed by a private security company, including its employees and managers.
The rules contained in the montreux document apply to everyone employed by private security companies to operate in situations of armed conflict. This includes all employees, regardless of their responsibilities within the company, as well as all managers and directors. Employees employed by commercial entities that are themselves subcontractors of private security companies are also covered by the definition.
3. "states parties"
"Contracting state" means a state that directly contracts services with a private security company, including, where appropriate, a private security company that subcontracts with another private security company. The montreux document is conceived mainly around three major relationships that may exist between the state and private security companies: contractual, territorial, or through company registration.
States parties, as a result of their own specific linkages with the private security companies, should pay particular attention to ensuring that the decision to enter into a contract with the private security companies does not preclude any respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law in any way. The concept of "contract" should be interpreted broadly and thus include very basic contracts. In addition, if the contracting private security company enters into a subcontract with another private security company, the state party shall do its duty to ensure that the subcontracted private security company also respects international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
4. "territorial state"
"Territorial state" means a state in whose territory private security companies operate. As for the territorial state, it is, of course, like all other states, obliged to respect and ensure that the relevant private security companies respect international humanitarian law. When a country authorized private security companies in their business and/or cooperate with the country's military or police force, or provide support, of course, should provide sufficient national mechanism, to ensure that respect for international humanitarian law on its territory, and in the event of a violation of international humanitarian law to take appropriate measures, including investigation and prosecution. The territory also includes territorial waters and airspace. Ships flying a national flag are also considered part of a country's territory. It is generally believed that states are also obliged to respect and implement international human rights law "within their jurisdiction".
5. "home"
"Home country" means the country of nationality of a private security company, that is, a country registered or registered by a private security company; If the country registered by the private security company is not its main administrative location, the country in which the private security company establishes its main administrative location is "its own".
A home country refers to a country where a private security company has registered, registered or established a major administrative location within its jurisdiction. The adoption of national legislation and policies helps ensure that the activities of private security companies do not result in violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. A country can do this through various measures, such as mandatory requirements for specialized training or restrictions on the activities of the industry through licensing and reporting systems.
The obligations of states parties, territorial states, countries of origin and international humanitarian law and international human rights law are not clearly distinct in their implementation. Different countries may be liable to a particular private security company and its personnel. Therefore, in order to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as for victim relief, states should cooperate in the formulation and implementation of their regulations to avoid a jurisdictional vacuum.
Iii. Development of international private security companies
Given the different types of services provided, private military and security service companies can be divided into private military companies and private security companies. The services provided by private military companies are offensive, mainly military services such as military training or military assistance. Private security companies provide services that are defensive and focused on protecting people and property. In the wake of 9/11, some of the largest international security companies grew and grew globally because they could provide international security services. These companies employ the previous government, or former military personnel, in the name of the "professional security", active in more than 50 conflict zones in the world, is not to be ignored in the unrest in security forces, mainly including (Blackwater) private security firm Blackwater USA, the UK jie fu shi (G4S), Sweden plug colli (Securitas) and Spain the solid (Prosegur).
1. Blackwater
Blackwater is a famous private military and security consulting company in the United States. It is one of three private security firms working with the U.S. state department. It was founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and Al Clark, former members of the navy's special forces navy seals, and opened in 1998. More than $1 billion in government contracts have been awarded since 2001. After 9/11, business grew by leaps and bounds, with turnover up 600fold between 2002 and 2005. By 2007, it had become one of the largest private security firms in the United States, employing more than 1,000 people in Iraq alone, and blackwater's rapid rise was largely due to the war. On February 13, 2009, blackwater announced it was abandoning its original name, blackwater, to Academi, after being involved in a scandal involving the killing of civilians in Iraq. The company has shifted its focus from security services to training and logistics.
Blackwater security guards U.S. government personnel in Iraq in June 2007
2. G4S
G4S, the world's leading international security solutions provider, is the world's largest security company, headquartered in the UK, with 657, 000 employees in 125 countries. In 2004 its predecessor, Securicor, merged with Group 4 Falck and renamed G4S. G4S offers services ranging from security, bodyguards, security systems and technology, events and exhibitions security solutions to property management, cash management, ATM maintenance, valuables escorting, punishment and education, and even military tasks such as mine clearance, ordnance management and military training. It also operates monitoring facilities such as prisons and electronic security systems. Has undertaken the London Olympics, a number of prison care and security management business.
3. Securitas, Sweden
Founded in 1934 at Helsingborg, Sweden, it was listed on the Stockholm Srock Exchange in 1991 and is now one of the world's largest security companies, accounting for 12 per cent of the global outsourcing market. Since seklida entered China in 2008, pinkerton (Shanghai) enterprise management consulting co., LTD, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of seklida's business expansion in China, has provided security services in several cities across the country.
4. Prosegur, Spain
The company is a global leader in the private security industry. Since its listing in the Madrid exchange center in Spain in 1987, with its international influence in 18 countries on five continents, the turnover of the company reached 4 billion euros in 2015, and now it has more than 160,000 employees. The group is headquartered in Shanghai and has branches in large and medium-sized cities such as jiangsu, shanxi and sichuan. The company mainly provides human defense, technical defense, dog defense, unarmed escort, Internet alarm, remote monitoring, cash management and security assessment. Customers include financial institutions, medical institutions, international top 500 institutions in China, industrial parks, r&d centers, universities, large shopping malls, high-end residential buildings, comprehensive commercial buildings, famous scenic spots, large-scale activities and exhibition halls.
What is China's overseas security service model?
The promotion of China's "One Belt And One Road" strategy highlights the importance and urgency of overseas security, and how to mobilize all social forces so as to form a comprehensive foreign-related security system integrating government, society, enterprises and individuals. As an important supplier of private security products, private security companies need to be standardized and guided. Previously, relying solely on foreign security companies was costly and lacked trust. Therefore, after a period of trial and error and accumulation of experience, Chinese enterprises going abroad began to recruit their own security forces to be stationed overseas. As a supplement to local and western security forces, China's own overseas commercial security forces also started.
On the macro level, there are two major development modes in the world, one is blackwater mode, the other is G4S mode.
Blackwater model: major security companies in the United States, such as blackwater, dyne, and MPRI, all have military and government backgrounds and are maintained by the fixed "big orders" of their own government and military and police intelligence departments, which will inevitably lead to the "black pot" for the government and military intelligence agencies. Blackwater, for example, is largely made up of former military men and was founded by Eric prince, a member of the right-wing plutocrats' family and a former member of the us navy seals. Blackwater quickly emerged as the world's largest security company, using its deep political resources and the post-9/11 counterterrorism situation. Blackwater can undertake abroad of security work in the United States, partly because of its deep integration with the political, company founder family is deeply related with republicans, founder of the prince's family has always been the republican campaign finance major donors, George w. bush's war on terror for private security companies like a duck to water, blackwater is the most famous of these. Since the end of the war in Iraq, the U.S. military has been severely understaffed, so it has subcontracted many of its original tasks, including logistics, weapons maintenance and maintenance, and security, to private security companies like blackwater. As of 2007, blackwater had 2,300 employees in nine countries, 20,000 on standby and 20 aircraft on standby. Its employees come from almost all over the world, and a large number of them have served in elite international forces, including the United States navy seals, the French foreign legion and other world-renowned powerful brigades. They have rich practical experience and have even recruited the former cia counterterrorism chief with great money. The company has operations all over the world, especially in the conflict-ridden gulf region and some African countries with unstable factors. Blackwater is best known for its scandals in Iraq and for its "inverted v-shaped" development, which has seen big ups and downs.
G4S model: currently, the top three commercial security companies in the world are G4S of the UK, SeCuritas of Sweden and Prosegur of Spain, all listed companies. Their market value in 2014 is 41 billion yuan, 23.7 billion yuan and 25 billion yuan respectively. They are all listed companies. They have developed along a road of asset acquisition and service for global expansion, especially G4S, which can be collectively referred to as G4S model. G4S, for example, is a century-old shop in the world's security service, which was formed by the merger of three historic security companies, dating back to 1901. On first for the British government started with training police 10 old contracts and then for the London Olympics security contract and reputation, blackwater mode is different with the United States, the UK G4S without too much from the military's top its managers for more "pure business", but they also have and official, military contacts and experience dealing with for a long time. As the listed companies in the field of security and the global benchmark, it acquired in 2001 jardine matheson group, jardine matheson security shares into the Asian market, core business is security services, and money and valuables delivery and storage service and electronic security business, service in brunei, mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, macau, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan. Of course, in recent years, G4S has also exposed serious problems such as excessive use of violence and dereliction of duty in security services. In September 2005, for example, G4S was accused of security breaches at seven military bases. In March 2006, its insiders revealed that the company's counterterrorism training at U.S. nuclear facilities was suspected of fraud.
China now has at least 847, 000 workers and 16, 000 businesses scattered abroad, mostly in high-risk countries and regions with political instability, frequent wars and rampant terrorism. Under the "One Belt And One Road" strategy, the scope and depth of "going global" continue to be strengthened, and the security and political risks of overseas interests and interests are also multiplied. China is also more vulnerable to the security of overseas interests, and there is still a big gap between security capability and demand. Overseas security is the extension and supplement of diplomatic and national security affairs, and it is imperative for Chinese enterprises to "go global", establish and improve the personal and property security system of Chinese overseas citizens, and establish China's own overseas security mechanism.