International Peace Operations Association

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The International Peace Operations Association is a private security firm established in 2001 and based in Washington, D.C.[1]

IPOA, the Association of the Stability Operations Industry, is a non-profit trade association seeking to increase the role of the private sector in defense and peace related services. IPOA was founded by Doug Brooks in April 2001 and currently represents 60 companies.

Brooks is an advocate of ethics, industry standards, regulation and transparency. Representing the industry and working with lawmakers on such regulations, Brooks is a lead advocate for legitimizing the further role of the private sector in peace and military endeavors.

Disaster Capitalism

On January 18, 2010, six days after the earthquake in Haiti, independent journalist Jeremy Scahill wrote:

The Orwellian-named mercenary trade group, the International Peace Operations Association, didn’t waste much time in offering the “services” of its member companies to swoop down on Haiti for some old fashioned humanitarian assistance disaster profiteering. Within hours of the massive earthquake in Haiti, the IPOA created a special web page for prospective clients, saying: “In the wake of the tragic events in Haiti, a number of IPOA’s member companies are available and prepared to provide a wide variety of critical relief services to the earthquake’s victims.”[2]

Members

The IPOA state states that each of its members is a "signatory to the IPOA Code of Conduct pledges to abide by the high ethical standards established therein." On its website IPOS lists its members, as of July 2009, as comprising:[3] Full Members:

Associate Members

Professional Staff

Executive Committee

As of July 2009. IPOA lists its Executive Committee as comprising[4]:

Former Exexutive committee memebers

  • Jim Schmitt (Vice President ArmorGroup): Chair
  • Joe Mayo (EOD Technology): Vice-Chair
  • Bill Clontz (Vice President MPRI): Deputy Vice-Chair
  • Pieter de Weerdt (Medical Support Services): Member at large
  • John Blackton (Senior Strategic Advisor to the Creative Center for Security and Stabilization): Member at large
  • Simon Falkner (COO Hart Security): Member at large

Contact

IPOA
1634 I St. NW, Suite 800
Washington DC 20006
phone: (202) 464 0721
fax: (202) 464 0726
email: IPOA at IPOAonline dot org
website: http://www.IPOAworld.org/

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch articles

References

  1. International Peace Operations Association Web site, FAQs page, accessed January 20, 2010
  2. Jeremy Scahill US "Security" Companies Offer "Services" in Haiti, RebelReports.com, Blog, January 18, 2010
  3. International Peace Operations Association, "Current IPOA Corporate Membership List", International Peace Operations Association website, accessed July 2009.
  4. International Peace Operations Association. "IPOA Executive Committee 2009", International Peace Operations Association website, accessed July 2009.

External resources

External articles