Although the use of mercenaries in conflict has increased in recent years, little is known about how they are funded and paid.

The issue is the focus of the latest report by the Working Group on the use of mercenaries, which was presented to the UN General Assembly this week.

Jovana Jezdimirovic Ranito is the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group, which receives its mandate from the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

She spoke to UN News’s Dianne Penn about the difficulties in tracking financing for foreign fighters and how bankrolling them negatively impacts human rights, sustainable development and the environment.