The GI-TOC Caribbean Observatory seeks to research and analyse organized crime across the Caribbean Basin, a region whose weight in global illicit flows is matched only by the fragmentation of the responses to it.

A sea larger than the Mediterranean, more than 7,000 islands, 13 independent states and 17 territories tied to France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States form a patchwork of jurisdictions that criminal groups exploit at every seam.

The Observatory approaches the Basin as a single ecosystem, connecting its islands and territories to the coastal states of Central and South America, from Costa Rica to Brazil. It examines the political economy of crime, the evolution of criminal groups and gang structures, and their impact on communities, including through sexual and gender-based violence. Its work covers cocaine trafficking and the wider illicit economies it feeds, from firearms and ammunition trafficking to human smuggling, as well as maritime security, port vulnerabilities and the illicit financial flows that sustain criminal groups.

Working in English, French and Spanish, the Observatory will combine field research, data and investigative work, as well as direct support to local independent organizations, to provide evidence and policy advice to governments, law enforcement, multilateral bodies and civil society audiences.