The member of the presidency of YATA Macedonia, Marko Pankovski, participated on the international seminar dedicated to Private Security (Military) Companies/National Security Sector organized by the RACVIAC Centre for Security Cooperation from 23th to 25th April 2013 in Zagreb, Croatia.

The event was organized by SSR Pillar of RACVIAC Centre and addressed the emerging questions regarding Private Security (Military) Companies role in the security and the process of creating a new legislation (Montreux Document) that will cover their activities in armed conflicts.

The seminar brought together participants from South Eastern Europe (SEE): members of parliaments, representatives of ombudsman institutions, ministries, chambers of commerce, private security companies, NGOs, academics as well as experts from DCAF Geneva and various national institutions and think-thanks.

This seminar provided the participants with relevant general information on the history and growth of P(M)SC. It also outlined the changing nature of the P(M)SC and the impact on civil-military relations, gave an overview of the pros and cons of using P(M)SC and of some lessons learned from privatizing and outsourcing security.

The participants were introduced to the options available for the effective regulation of P(M)SC and international regulations, such as the Monteux Document and the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers. The seminar was also an opportunity to exchange the information on the current trends related to the national experiences of regional countries on P(M)SC from the academic as well as private security companies’ point of view.