Waiving state tasks? The dangers of military outsourcing

States deploy private military contractors (PMCs) in conflict zones in hopes of gaining short-term strategic advantages – yet this often comes at the cost of threatening human rights in the areas of operation. What is often overlooked are the risks this practice poses to the states themselves. What does it mean for a state when it outsources military power to private actors? In my research, I examine the risks that military outsourcing poses to the rule of law and the state’s monopoly on the legitimate use of force.