Publications

Illicit Financial Flows and Asset Recovery in Ukraine - June 2021

Organised crime produces significant amounts of illicit revenue and proceeds globally. Ukraine has implemented numerous measures to combat corruption, organised crime and IFFs in the country, providing a positive example for the region. Despite this progress, Ukraine still deals with active criminal networks inside and outside the country and remains a transit country for traffickers and launderers. The principal criminal activities in Ukraine include illicit drug trafficking, human trafficking, exploitation of natural resources, illicit arms trafficking, cybercrime and tax evasion. Additionally, Ukraine faces Russian military aggression, which is causing a large economic burden; the conflict is perceived to be a contributing factor for organised criminal activity. Combating organised c...

Illicit Financial Flows and Asset Recovery in the Republic of the Azerbaijan - June 2021

Combating organised crime and Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs), and recovering illicitly-obtained assets, requires multiple policy areas and transnational cooperation. Azerbaijan’s strategic position is particularly attractive to organised criminal groups motivated to carry out smuggling operations and other illicit activity. Azerbaijan’s crime areas of priority concern include drug trafficking, human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and the smuggling of counterfeit goods. In light of the above, the European Union (EU) and UNICRI have launched a series of studies shedding light on the significant damage being caused to States as a result of unchecked IFFs, and on the significant value of prioritising the capture of illicitly-obtained assets. The EU and UNICRI are committed to prov...

Technology and Security: Countering Criminal Infiltrations in the Legitimate Supply Chain - May 2021

We recommend the use of Acrobat Reader or equivalent software to read the document The infiltration of organized crime into the legitimate supply chain is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted response, including consideration of the role that technology can play to help combat related criminal activities. This report provides an overview of some of the main threats posed by criminal organizations attempting to infiltrate the supply chain security. It also presents possible responses that technology solutions can provide to support legitimate stakeholders seeking to protect their products and provides law enforcers with additional tools to investigate and counter organized criminal activities. This report does not intend to present technology as the sole solution to mitig...

Illicit Financial Flows and Asset Recovery in Libya - May 2021

The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) presents an EU-funded study on the impact of illicit financial flows on Libya’s economic and social development. Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) impact a country’s economic and social development in a myriad of ways. Undocumented flights of wealth to and from - as well as within - a country have severe repercussions on government revenues, wealth that could otherwise be invested in public spending and other forms of economic and social reforms. Illicit financial flows, particularly those related to corruption and organized crime, also withdraw funds from the legitimate economy and can limit the state’s ability to invest in healthcare and education, among other public sectors. IFFs in Libya can mean fewer ho...

Les dynamiques du soutien et de la participation à l’extrémisme violent - Avril 2021

Les victimes engendrées par la violence armée au Mali ont été multipliées par quatre entre 2016 et 2019, et les jeunes sont parmi les plus touchés par la situation. Bien que de nombreuses initiatives aient été lancées pour prévenir et lutter contre l’extrémisme violent au Mali, il reste un manque de compréhension autour de l’interaction des facteurs qui conduisent les personnes –en particulier les jeunes– à soutenir l’extrémisme violent. Alors que l’impact socio-économique et psychologique nuisible du terrorisme continue d’affecter la vie des jeunes maliens, il est de plus en plus urgent de comprendre et de contrer efficacement les facteurs qui permettent aux groupes extrémistes d’opérer sur des sections de plus en plus vastes du pays.  À partir de données primaires recueillie...

The needs of families in the prevention of drug use among young people - A pilot study

  The report describes the results of a pilot project on the needs of families in the prevention of drug use among young people, conducted by UNICRI from January 2019 to August 2020. As part of this initiative, UNICRI carried out research activities in Italy, Lebanon and Tunisia, with the aim of identifying and exploring the priority aspects to support and consolidate the protective role of the family in the prevention of drug use among young people. Scientific evidence has indeed demonstrated the potential role of the family not only in facilitating the onset of problems related to drug use, but also in the prevention and rehabilitation process. In relation to the protective role that the family can play, the need to offer them more specific and tailored support ...

Illicit Financial Flows and Asset Recovery in Georgia - April 2021

Organised crime produces significant amounts of illicit revenue and proceeds globally and in Europe. Georgia has implemented impressive reform measures to combat corruption, organised crime and Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) in the country, providing a positive example for the region. Despite this progress, Georgia still deals with certain criminality inside the country. The principle criminal activities in Georgia include theft, fraud, drug-related crime, property crime, cybercrime and financial crime. Significant levels of IFFs might have been produced by this criminal activity in recent years. Additionally, Georgia faces certain challenges regarding Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) trafficking and terrorism financing due to regional insecurity. This study’s ...

New report on Illicit Financial Flows and Asset Recovery in the Republic of Moldova - April 2021

Organised crime produces significant amounts of illicit revenue and proceeds globally and in Europe. This report is part of the series of action oriented research on Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) and Asset Recovery that the European Union and UNICRI are launching to shed light on the significant damage being caused to States as a result of unchecked IFFs, and on the significant value of prioritising the capture of illicitly-obtained assets linked to such IFFs. Organised criminal activity in Moldova largely reflects and aligns with regional patterns involving the scope, nature, and impact of such activity. This report includes recommendations on how to improve mechanisms for the effective and efficient seizure and confiscation of assets linked to criminal activity and how to enhance the...

When the music stops

Since 2012, Mali has faced significant instability, increasing episodes of violence and ongoing tensions generated by separate but interlinked issues, including scarcity of resources, longstanding intercommunal tensions, poor governance and weak provision of services. In such a context, various armed and terrorist groups have established their presence in Mali, initially in the north of the country but with a clear shift towards the centre and the south in recent years. The institutional fragility, increased availability of weapons, effects of climate change on a traditional pastoral and agricultural economy, porousness of borders, and existing forms of informal trade have facilitated dangerous collaboration between terrorist and organised crime groups. Their presence has progressively exa...