ESA-Obs

Mapping organized criminal economies in East and Southern Africa

Mapping organized criminal economies

...East and Southern Africa (ESA) is a pivotal node for organized crime, connecting regional criminal markets to global networks. From the shores of Somalia to border crossings and international air and ...

Posted on 30 Jul 2025

Drug Policy, EUR-Obs

An Archetypal drug market

...When Archetyp, one of the largest and oldest dark web drug markets, was dismantled in June 2025, the authorities framed it as a ‘severe blow’ to European organized crime. But as with previous take...

Posted on 30 Jul 2025

Author(s): Sarah Fares

Cities & Illicit Economies, Mesoamerican Working Group on Security and Democracy (MAWG), Protecting Politics, AR-Obs, CAM-Obs

Peace by design: Strong local institutions and governance are key to preventing violence and organized crime in cities

...Armed violence in our communities is a pervasive problem that has damaged public trust in institutions in countries ranging from El Salvador to Sweden. The impact of violence on people’s lives and o...

Posted on 25 Jul 2025

Author(s): Antônio Sampaio

WEA-Obs

Why the deadliest migration route in the world is becoming more popular

...On 1 July 2025, Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), the most powerful violent extremist organization in the Sahel, launched a series of coordinated attacks on seven towns along Mali’s borde...

Posted on 23 Jul 2025

Author(s): Flore Berger, Lucia Bird Ruiz-Benitez de Lugo, Mouhamadou Kane

APA-Obs

Railroad to extinction

Railroad to extinction

...The China–Laos Railway has enabled a dramatic expansion of illegal wildlife trade (IWT) in Laos, transforming the country into a critical node in transnational trafficking networks. According to thi...

Posted on 22 Jul 2025

Eco-Solve, AMA-Obs

Amplifying community-led solutions to combat environmental crimes in the Amazon

Amplifying community-led solutions to combat environmental crimes in the Amazon

...Global attention to the environmental challenges facing the Amazon has increased ahead of the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), which will take place in Belém, the capital of...

Posted on 21 Jul 2025

Author(s): Laura Avila Rivera, Gabriel Funari

UN-TOC Watch

UNpredictable times

...Ordinarily, staff at the United Nations Office in Vienna would now be preparing for a well-earned summer: tying up loose ends, attending final meetings, setting out-of-office replies and beginning to ...

Posted on 18 Jul 2025

Author(s): Ian Tennant