Private Security Companies and the State Monopoly on Violence

Private security companies have been expanding for many years. They are involved in domestic sectors, but there is also a growing trend of engagement in international interventions. Is the states` key norm of monopoly on the legitimate use of violence put into question by the proliferation of private security contractors? The present report observes a transformation of the normative foundations and practices of the provision of security and demands a public debate on the political desirability and legitimacy of the private use of armed force.