Outsourcing Peace?

Private companies provide security and military§services to states, international organizations,§international non-governmental organizations, and§individuals. This thesis addresses the United§Nation s use of private security and military§companies (PSCs and PMCs). The study looks into the§characteristics of this practice and subsequently§provides some explanations for the pattern and§rationale thereof. The study suggests both§radicalized external operating environments and§internal organizational capacities have contributed§to increasing the demand for private security§services. On the supply side, the analysis indicates§that comprehensive image refinement efforts on part§of the industry have added to the UN deploying these§companies. This thesis thus argues that the UN s use§of PSCs and PMCs can be explained by the UN§simultaneously facing more difficult premises for its§operations, enhanced expectations for action, and§proportionally deteriorated internal capacity. The§private security and military industry on its part§has detected the UN potential market and strive to§accommodate to the demands of this potentially very§profitable market.