Corruption and transnational organized crime are inextricably linked worldwide. Both undermine licit economies, accountable governing, and democratic norms. They enable and reinforce one another, sustaining and expanding criminal and extremist networks. Together, they impose massive economic, political, social, and human costs and impede development goals across every aspect of human endeavor. The dynamics, causes, and impacts of corruption and organized crime are many and too often poorly understood.
To aid the USG Justice Reform workforce to better meet these self-obscuring, mutually-reinforcing threats, the JUSTRAC+ program is organizing a Symposium Series focused on new tools, practices, and programs at the intersection of rule of law, anticorruption, and transnational organized crime. The Symposium Series on Transnational Organized Crime, Rule of Law, and Corruption will include at least three separate events.
The third event, A Toolkit for Countering Corruption-Enabled Transnational Organized Crime, held Thursday, March 23, 2021, introduced an interactive Toolkit developed by the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative. The Toolkit focuses on transnational organized crime enabled by corruption, and it includes an introductory video, a Practice Note, and accompanying Annexes. The Practice Note explores the multifaceted challenge of corruption-enabled transnational organized crime by exploring Foundational Knowledge; Diagnosis and Assessment; Program Design and Implementation; and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning. The Practice Note also includes practical guidance for practitioners and USG program officers seeking to combat corruption-enabled transnational crime with a focus on associated illicit financial flows.