Side events and discussions at the UN General Assembly in New York this year may have been dominated by climate change and tensions between the US and Iran, but the challenges of the illicit economy, including illegal trade and illicit financial flows, were also a notable focus of this year’s event.
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime hosted, participated in and moderated several events held in the margins of the General Assembly – not least of which was the launch of the first component of the path-breaking Organised Crime Index.
The key message at these events was, as always, that the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) must take into account the impact of organized crime and illicit markets.
Most prominently, on 24 September, the Global Initiative, the Institute for Security Studies and INTERPOL hosted two side events showcasing the extensive work on organized crime in the African continent produced by the ENACT programme (Enhancing Africa’s Response to Transnational Organised Crime).
Attended by roughly 100 stakeholders, including government delegates and UN agency representatives, the first event was convened to launch the new Organised Crime Index Africa 2019, while the second session explored the illicit drug markets on the continent.
Global Initiative’s director, Mark Shaw, presented the Organised Crime Index results, highlighting key continental trends, including findings that would indicate that the relationship between organized crime and resilience is not always linear.
The deputy director, Tuesday Reitano, presented the Index methodology, highlighting the extensive two-year process of data collection, analysis, scoring and verification.
In the Index, each of the 54 African states is assigned a criminality and resilience score, but above all, it was emphasized that this project is conceptualized as a conversation starter rather than as a tool for judging countries’ performances – its objective being to help understand the organized crime threat and design informed responses to it.
Attendees identified the important value of the Organised Crime Index as a tool for policymakers, while recognizing its contribution to existing research efforts.
During the second event, Mark and INTERPOL’s ENACT project coordinator, Nathalie Richard-Bober, presented research on the illicit drug trade in Africa.
They highlighted drug-trafficking trends and law-enforcement responses, addressing changing trafficking patterns, rising consumption patterns and the implications of these phenomena for the future.
Following the presentations, Professor Etannibi Alemika from the University of Jos in Nigeria, offered his perspective on the continent’s drug challenges, and attendees were given the opportunity to discuss key trends and patterns, as well as opportunities for collaboration.
Picture: Typological classification of African states according to drug policy status and reform capacity
On 26 September, the Global Initiative hosted a discussion event on human smuggling and trafficking dynamics in the context of the war for Tripoli, which, by the beginning of October, will have been waging for six months.
On 26 September, the Global Initiative hosted a discussion event on human smuggling and trafficking dynamics in the context of the war for Tripoli, which, by the beginning of October, will have been waging for six months.
Speakers Jalel Harchaoui, Rebecca Murray and GI Senior Fellow Mark Micallef gave a grounded assessment, based on ongoing fieldwork, of how the conflict in Libya is undermining daily lives, and in some cases worsening criminal activity.
Picture: Opening remarks by Jean-Paul Laborde, Ambassador for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean.
The event was a timely discussion that accompanied significant Libya-related debates at this year’s General Assembly, with tense statements delivered at the gathering, as well as coordinated diplomatic activity by France and Italy on the sides of event.
Deputy Director-General for the EU’s Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Maciej Popowski (Picture) closed the event with reflections on the significant challenges presented by the Libyan context and by underlining the EU’s ongoing commitment to remain engaged through diplomatic efforts and substantial funding programmes.
Members of the Global Initiative team were invited to offer their expertise during a number of additional high-level events on the margins of the General Assembly.
Tuesday served as a respondent at a meeting that focused on combating illicit flows and strengthening good practice on asset recovery, hosted at the UN Headquarters on 25 September.
This event was opened with keynotes by the presidents of Nigeria, Ethiopia and Zambia, as well as statements by a number of ministerial-level participants from other African and European governments, regional bodies and UN agencies.
On 23 September, Mark Shaw presented at an event held by the Atlantic Council on legal goods traded illegally, with a focus on illicit markets in food and medicines, an under-researched and increasingly vital area to understand, given these markets’ impact on human health and well-being.
On the margins of the 23 September Climate Summit, the Global Initiative’s New York representative, Summer Walker, moderated a side event on the nexus between climate change, organized crime, terror and fragility.
Speakers included the Nigerian Minister of Environment Dr Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, INTERPOL Secretary-General Jürgen Stock and UN Police Adviser Luís Carrilho, who explored the intersectionality between climate change and security, including the key risks and potential responses.
As authors of the next report of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the Global Initiative participated in a high-level, closed-door luncheon hosted by Helen Clark, former prime minister of New Zealand and UN Development Programme administrator, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and former President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, as well as the ambassadors of Mexico and Luxembourg.
Global Initiative staff also attended a number of other events, including those hosted by UN Police, Global Financial Integrity and the Walk Free Foundation.
The organization has been glad to have had the opportunity to engage with the UN, and the wider diplomatic and think-tank community. A core element of the Global Initiative’s mandate is to promote the building blocks of a global strategy to fight organized crime, and that we have these forums to share our expertise during multilateral debates in the margins of the UN General Assembly is a critical investment in achieving that goal.
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