Åse Gilje Østensen

Outsourcing Peace?: the United Nations' Use of Private Security and Military Companies Åse Gilje Østensen

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.