Together, organised crime and corruption are complex and global phenomena that undermine democratic processes, slow down development and contribute to instability. As trade, finance, travel and communication have become more open, the production, transit and consumption of illicit goods has also spread, with people in positions of power seeking to benefit. Criminal networks seek to corrupt public officials to facilitate their activities making corruption a major enabler for crime. As a result, organised crime and corruption are inherently interlinked in a way that “organised crime feeds corruption and corruption feeds organised crime”.1
The 2021 Europol Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment listed corruption as a major threat to be addressed in the fight against organised crime. The report highlighted that widespread use of corruption was a key characteristic of organised crime, with almost 60% of criminal networks reported to be engaged in corruption in the EU.2 It is a threat to security, economic growth, rule of law and social cohesion.3
Internationally, the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), is the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument. Adopted in 2003, UNCAC’s work is needed now as much as ever, as corruption thrives in crises and the Covid-19 pandemic was no exception. While the full scale of corruption in the Covid-19 crisis may not yet be known, falsified medical products and testing kits for Covid-19 have already been intercepted4 and Covid-19 related products (real and fake) were being sold on dark web marketplaces since the beginning of the pandemic5 Given the urgency of crisis and recovery situations, governments, banks and others often feel compelled to forgo rigorous checks in the name of speed, making corruption a very big concern during these times. Organised crime groups are particularly well placed to take advantage of this and divert much needed resources through corruption.6
As a common thread running throughout organised crime, the Global Illicit Flows Programme (GIFP) has not been immune to the effects of corruption. As it acts as a facilitator of illicit trafficking, corruption is an ever-present concern to the GIFP components, and ways must be found to tackle it. CRIMJUST in particular has been working on supporting criminal justice operators in identifying and addressing integrity and accountability challenges in combatting organised crime. This has been provided through specific training programmes on ethics and integrity for law enforcement and judiciary. CRIMJUST has specifically supported GIFP components AIRCOP and SEACOP, by providing specialised ethics and integrity courses to Joint Airport Interdiction Task Forces, Joint Maritime Control Units and Maritime Intelligence Units.
The UNCAC remains a landmark achievement in the global fight against corruption and there are calls for a more coordinated approach linking UNCAC with the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. This would allow these intertwined transnational threats to be tackled more comprehensively. On this International Anti-Corruption Day, the need to coordinate the responses to corruption and organised crime is all the more urgent.
Sources
[1] Julia, M., Hughes, W., and Pyman, M. (2011) Organised Crime, Corruption and the Vulnerability of Defence and Security Forces. UK: Transparency International UK. Page 8.
[2] Europol (2021), European Union serious and organised crime threat assessment, A corrupting influence: the infiltration and undermining of Europe’s economy and society by organised crime, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. Page 10.
[3] Europol (2021), European Union serious and organised crime threat assessment, A corrupting influence: the infiltration and undermining of Europe’s economy and society by organised crime, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. Page 27.
[4] United Nations (2021) Corruption and Covid-19: Challenges in Crisis Response and Recovery. Page 7.
[5] UK Research and Innovation (27 May 2022) COVID-19 and the dark web. https://www.ukri.org/news-and-events/tackling-the-impact-of-covid-19/recovery-and-rebuilding/covid-19-and-the-dark-web/. Webpage accessed 8 December 2022.
[6] United Nations (2021) Corruption and Covid-19: Challenges in Crisis Response and Recovery. Page 4.
