The Eurasia Observatory provides timely, granular analysis on organized crime, illicit markets and the enabling conditions in the Eurasia region, with a particular focus on shifts driven by the war in Ukraine.  

It is the successor to the Observatory of Illicit Markets and the Conflict in Ukraine, which was initially established to provide an early-warning system of trends and emerging risks emerging from the war in Ukraine. In the following three years, the Observatory has expanded its coverage to include the political economy surrounding criminal networks and illicit markets across Eurasia more broadly. Although the conflict in Ukraine remains a key factor in understanding criminal developments in the region, it is not the only one – in recognition of which the Observatory has been renamed on a geographic basis. 

Moving forward, the Observatory will provide the tools and analysis needed to understand criminal networks, activities and risks in a region that is of growing geopolitical and economic importance, serving in many ways as a natural corridor between East and West, North and South – the result being China, Russia, the U.S., Iran and countries in Europe and further afield having a stake in how the region develops. Against this background, the conditions are ripe for organized crime and criminal actors to harness current geopolitical developments to their advantage, something they have successfully done for decades across the region.  

The Observatory is also building a sustainable network of local NGOs, academic institutions, government bodies, police, chambers of commerce, civil society and other actors to strengthen community resilience and mitigate impacts.