Global Initiative

Sand mafias in India

India has seen a tripling of demand for sand from 2000 to 2017, creating a market worth 150 billion rupees, or just over two billion US dollars. The...

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Domestic drug consumption in Ghana

West Africa’s emergence in the mid-2000s as a transit hub in the international illicit drugs trade and the consequent surge in the quantity of...

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The evolution of illicit drug markets and drug policy in Africa

This continental report reflects on the changing drug policy environment in Africa. Globally, support for drug policy reform has grown over the past...

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Predatory economies in Eastern Libya

On 4 April 2019, the Libyan National Army (LNA) launched a surprise attack on Tripoli, as the UN-sponsored dialogue process was reaching a critical...

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The UN System-Wide Response to Organized Crime

From peace operations to how to better manage forests and food supply chains, the United Nations (UN) is engaged in the fight against organized crime...

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The Philippines’ war on drugs

Since July 2016, communities in the Philippines have been subjected to a violent nationwide police crackdown on illegal drugs, which has courted...

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Hotspots of Organized Crime in the Western Balkans

Since the end of 2018, protestors in Albania, Montenegro and Serbia have been taking to the streets to express their frustration and anger at...

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Extortion in Central America

In parts of Central America, extortion has become so endemic that it is now a feature of the daily socio-economic life of citizens, businesses and...

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World Atlas of Illicit Flows

Organized crime takes the lion’s share of USD31.5 billion in illicit flows in and around conflict areas A new report warns that the illegal...

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