By Virginia Comolli | Martin Thorley

  Pacific island countries (PICs) and territories increasingly play host to transnational criminal activities, with direct and indirect implications for Pacific communities and beyond. Ignoring these issues in favour of other diplomatic priorities or economic agendas risks exacerbating local fragility and creating safe havens from which foreign criminals can operate unhindered. The cocaine, synthetic drugs and heroin trades are what draws organized criminals to the Pacific (for the most part). Traditionally, the Pacific islands have been used as transit points for narcotics originating in Asia and Latin America and destined for high-value consumer markets in Australia and New Zealand. PICs, however, are now also developing their own domestic markets. In terms of provenance, three groups stand out: Triads and Asian syndicates: Compared to the other organized crime groups active in the Pacific, Asian syndicates have a wider portfolio of activities, which straddle the licit and illicit. In fact, alongside their engagement in drugs and human trafficking, cyber scams and various financial crimes, some Asian groups, and Chinese triads such as 14K in particular, enjoy connections with senior establishment figures, which they may be able to leverage for political influence. Central and South American cartels: Mexican and Colombian groups are key actors in the drug trade, especially cocaine and methamphetamines. The Sinaloa cartel in Mexico appears to be the most prominent in the arena, even though it lacks any permanent bases in the Pacific islands. Trafficking methods include the use of planes, yachts, bodily concealment and dropping drugs in the ocean for later retrieval. These groups are also able to rely on North American connections to facilitate illicit flows. Outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCGs): OMCGs from Australia and New Zealand are involved in several criminal activities in the region, especially drug trafficking. They have established chapters in the Pacific islands and are able to exploit the presence of criminal deportees there to facilitate the trafficking of narcotics, as well as money laundering, extortion and other illicit activities. Minor actors: The Pacific has also attracted a diverse range of criminal actors from eastern and south-eastern Europe, the Middle East and other regions. They have been involved in various criminal activities, such as ATM scams and drug shipments. Opportunists from different countries have also collaborated with established criminal groups in the region.  

Geneva, SWIT: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime , 2024. 23p.  

By Earth League International

The report highlights 5 case studies covering 10 transnational criminal networks operating from Latin America to Asia, 33 Persons of Interest, including some of the most important shark fin international traffickers, and dozens of smuggling routes identified by ELI that illustrate the convergence of environmental and wildlife crime, specifically shark fin trafficking, with other serious crimes and expose the severity of the issue at a global scale. This report utilizes ELI’s revolutionary 4-Type Environmental Crime Convergence paradigm in our 2023 Environmental Convergence Report with John Jay College of Criminal Justice to comprehensively understand and combat the intricate web of transnational organized crime operations behind shark fin trafficking and the criminal exploitation of nature.

“The extensive field and analytical work invested in Operation STELLA MARIS underscores our commitment to unmasking the complexities of shark fin trafficking and environmental crime convergence. We hope that the findings will serve as a valuable resource to support the efforts of diverse stakeholders, from government agencies and policymakers to international bodies, the media, and other NGOs, in their ongoing fight against environmental crime“, says Andrea Crosta, Executive Director of Earth League International.

Environmental crime is breaking down critical ecosystems and accelerating climate change, fueling Earth’s extinction crisis and there’s a great need for high-quality detailed intelligence about the transnational trafficking networks and organized crime behind this criminal exploitation. 

Shark populations, especially those targeted by the international fin trade, are crashing, and over one-third of shark species are listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Vulnerable or Endangered. Not only is the practice of shark finning cruel, but a lack of sharks in marine ecosystems can lead to imbalances in species below them in the food chain that damage populations of coral reefs. 

Operation STELLA MARIS uncovers how the shark fin trade in Latin America extends far beyond shark fin trafficking, encompassing multiple types of wildlife and environmental crime, different forms of trafficking, human smuggling, fraud, and related financial and corruption-related crimes. Our intelligence-led field operations are essential to information gaps and provide evidence-based knowledge to various stakeholders, from government agencies to policymakers, the media, and the public. Our intelligence-led field operations are essential to information gaps and provide evidence-based knowledge to various stakeholders, from government agencies to policymakers, the media, and the public.  

Los Angeles: Earth League International, 2024. 107p.

By The Asian Development Bank

This report highlights how sexual and gender minorities in countries across Asia and the Pacific face discrimination and violence, assesses the legal barriers impacting their lives, and shows how policy reforms can increase inclusion and economic opportunities.

It exposes regional disparities, outlines how laws and regulations reduce access to education, jobs, and public services, and shows how they restrict people expressing their identity and getting legal gender recognition. The report recommends a range of measures including taking legal and policy action to target hate crimes, improving law enforcement training, and preventing so-called “conversion therapies” to help reduce damaging exclusion and inequity.

Mandaluyong City, 1550 Metro Manila, Philippines: Asian Development Bank, 2024. 66p.

By Australia Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement

Australian consumers are willing to pay some of the highest prices globally for illicit drugs, and data sources such as the National Wastewater Drug Analysis Program, the National Drug Strategy Household Survey and the Illicit Drug Data Report reveal that consumption within Australia continues to grow, returning to pre-COVID-19 levels.

While the Committee understands that this is a multi-faceted issue requiring an integrated response from multiple sectors, this report pays particular attention to the role of police and its partner agencies in dealing with illicit drugs. Broader issues are considered with reference to their impact on law enforcement.

Strategies under the demand and harm reduction pillars target the behaviours and factors leading to, and the risks arising from, drug use. The regulation and policing of drug consumption is largely a matter for the states and territories, and demand and harm reduction strategies have been introduced to varying degrees around the country. A number of specific strategies were discussed, including decriminalization of personal use, as well as the establishment of drug checking and safe injecting facilities. The focus of the Committee, however, has been on outlining the challenges for law enforcement arising from the various policy settings.

This report consists of 6 chapters:

• Chapter 2 provides the context for the inquiry, outlines current trends in supply, seizures and consumption of illicit drugs and summarises some of the major harms arising from illicit drug use;

• Chapter 3 establishes the current policy settings in relation to illicit drugs and canvasses some of the major policy debates raised in evidence;

• Chapter 4 considers supply reduction strategies and investigates current law enforcement approaches, including responses to the trafficking of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals, as well as the impact of seizures on supply;

• Chapter 5 canvasses demand and harm reduction strategies, including decriminalisation, and discusses the interaction of these strategies with, and their impacts on, law enforcement; and

• Chapter 6 details the committee’s conclusions and recommendations.

Key recommendations:

• The Australian government should re-establish a governance structure under the National Cabinet architecture, bringing together representatives with responsibility for law enforcement and health across the Commonwealth, states and territories, to oversee the implementation of the National Drug Strategy.

• The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission should undertake research to clarify what proportion of people arrested for possession of illicit drugs are concurrently charged with another criminal offence and would not have come to law enforcement attention but for the concurrent (non-drug related) offence.

• The Australian government should commission research to understand the impacts of decriminalisation in Australian and international jurisdictions where reforms have been implemented. Such research should, where possible, evaluate the longitudinal impacts on individuals, communities and law enforcement agencies to provide an evidence base to inform future policy decisions.

Commonwealth of Australia, 2024. 

By Stefania Chiappini

The article presents a systematic literature review on the use and the psychiatric implications of over-the-counter drugs (OTC), prescription-only-medications (POM), and new psychoactive substances (NPS) within custodial settings. The searches wer carried out on 2 November 2022 on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science in line with PRISMA guidelines. A total of 538 records were identified, of which 37 met the inclusion criteria. Findings showed the most prevalent NPS and OTC and POM classes reported in prisons were synthetic cannabinoids receptor agonists (SCRAs) and opioids, respectively. NPS markets were shown to be in constant evolution following the pace of legislations aimed to reduce their spread. The use of such substances heavily impacts the conditions and rehabilitation of persons in custody, with consequent physical and mental health risks. It is important to raise awareness of the use and misuse of such substances in prisons (i) from an early warning perspective for law enforcement and policy makers (ii) to prompt doctors to cautiously prescribe substances that may be misused (iii) to improve and increase access to treatment provided (iv) to add such substances to routine toxicological screening procedures (v) to improve harm reduction programmes. 

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

Volume 162, July 2024, 105691

By The European Parliament,  Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs,   Directorate-General for Internal Policies 

  Cross-border parental child abductions in the EU are governed by The 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and (except for Denmark) the Brussels II-ter Regulation. Countries outside of the EU may or may not be Contracting States to ‘the Convention’, but will not be bound by Brussels II-ter. Research has found that the often negative, long lasting impact of abduction may continue throughout the lifecycle of those who have been abducted. It may also affect future generations of society. This means that every effort to deter abduction should be made. Where that is not possible, the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention should be nurtured to support its application in contemporary society. Specialist mediation should be encouraged in relation to international child abduction generally, and specifically in relation to Third Countries which are not Contracting States to ‘the Convention’.   

Brussels:  European Parliament, Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs,   Directorate-General for Internal Policies , 2024. 57p.

By Jacqueline Tasca, Reza Ahmadi, Safiyah Husein, Justin McNeil

The current report is the second in a two-part series of research projects exploringthe effects of justice involvement on homelessness in Ontario. The first report, No Fixed Address: The Intersections of Justice Involvement and Homelessness was released in 2022. The report analyzed over 10 years of data on admissions to Ontario correctional facilities of individuals who had no fixed address - no stable, permanent address - at the time of admission to a correctional institution. Findings from the report highlighted that Ontario’s provincial correctional facilities are incarcerating a proportionally larger number of people experiencing homelessness now than at any other point in the last 15 years 

Toronto: John Howard Society of Ontario, Social Research and Demonstration Corporation, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, 2024. 28p.

By The  Institute for Security Studies

Drawing on years of research, these priority measures can help the South African Police Service fulfil its constitutional mandate.

Many police members do good work and many criminals end up in prisons as a result. We applaud these successes. Nevertheless, since 2012, we have become increasingly concerned by evidence that the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) organisational performance and policing generally in South Africa are in a state of decline. After more than a decade of rising murder rates, improving public safety is critical for the country’s future. The government should prioritise a targeted programme of reform that measurably improves policing over the coming five years. Based on three decades of analysis of crime and policing in South Africa, this report provides recommendations in five strategic focus areas

Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies (ISS), 2024. 20p.

By Kars de Bruijne Clara Gehrling

  It is generally accepted that violent extremism is a problem in northern Benin. Currently, attention is overwhelmingly devoted to northern Alibori and western Atacora and this problem is viewed as a ‘spillover’ from the Sahel. But this is only part of the story. This report points to a number of disturbing signals which, in combination, point to a problem of violent extremism along Benin’s border with Nigeria. . 1. Suffocating canaries in coal mines indicate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. A variety of strange signals in Northern Benin along the border with Nigeria are like these canaries: they point at dangerous liaisons between violent extremist groups. Closer relationships with bandit groups seem to facilitate this. This report makes the following observations: − Banditry is re-emerging in JNIM’s zones of operation in Benin. Those bandits seem to have Nigerian connections. − Violent extremists are present in Kainji Lake National Park (Nigeria) just across the border from the Borgou Department. Evidence suggests this involves Sahelian extremists (likely JNIM). Another group would be Darul Salam – a group linked to Boko Haram, if not fully affiliated – with an open attitude towards bandits. − There has been a strong increase in the movement of unidentified armed actors along the Borgou border with Niger State and in banditry-related incidents since March 2023. The evidence suggests that there is a direct link with those operating in Kainji Lake National Park. − Since March 2023, unidentified armed groups have had a concealed presence in the Forêt de Trois Rivières between southern Alibori and the Borgou Department. − Bandits and unidentified armed groups are known to move towards Kebbi State from Sokoto. It is alleged that these include various Darul Salam fighters with links to the Sahel. 

2. There are deep connections between North West Nigeria and North East Benin due to longstanding social, ethnic and religious connections, particularly in the former ‘cross-border’ Borgu Empire: − The northern-most border area (North East Alibori and Kebbi State) sees intra-ethnic cross-border connections between the Hausa and the Nigerian Zamfara Fulbe respectively. A risk in this area are ethnic tensions between the Hausa and the Fulbe. − The area of the former Borgu Empire (Borgou Department and Niger State) has a distinct cross-border political entity. On both sides of the border, people tend to identify as one Bariba/Boo community with shared customary institutions. There are high farmer-herder tensions involving autochthonous Fulbe. There is also a fear of kidnapping by Zamfara Fulbe. − Another risk in the former Borgu Empire concerns the Dambanga hunting groups. These groups operate cross-border in defiance of a Benin government ban but are pitched against extremists in Kainji and have been used by the Nigerian military. This discrepancy can generate tensions between the two countries. − Two non-violent reformist movements – the Yan Izala movement and the Jama'at Tabligh – are present along the border. Their reach has grown strongly in the border area of Northern Benin during the last ten years. 3. A well-developed cross-border trade system operates between the Nigerian and Beninese border. This system generates livelihoods for many people in the area. Livelihoods are at risk: − There is a variety of markets and crossings connecting North West Nigeria and Northern Benin. Unidentified armed groups and Darul Salam operate in these hubs. − People’s livelihoods are highly dependent on cross-border trade. Interviews revealed frustration and a strong sense of grievance towards both Nigerian and Beninese government policies that are perceived to put livelihoods under stress. − On the one hand, consistent problems reported are a ban on cereal exports and soybeans, and accompanying border restrictions. Both have a negative impact on livelihoods. − On the other hand, the end of fuel subsidies in Nigeria at the time of research for this report had a severe impact on people’s livelihoods (and on communities in general). 4. The above three main observations suggest that a very problematic situation is emerging along the Nigerian-Benin border. Not only are there numerous indications of extremist activities and a link between bandits and extremists along the border but also there are clear social links that facilitate cross border exchange and real livelihood needs that create vulnerabilities to recruitment. The governments of Benin and Nigeria urgently need to move into action. Three things could be done: − Coordinate and step up the military response by: revamping regional security cooperation within ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States); bilateral security cooperation for hot-pursuit, intelligence sharing and coordination; and a joint strategy for cross-border hunting groups. − Prioritise people’s livelihoods. This should involve cushioning livelihood effects of the ban on cereals (and cutting of fuel subsidies) to reduce vulnerability to recruitment. − Be more flexible and agile to respond to rapidly changing context by closely monitoring border markets for sudden vulnerabilities, and demanding more flexible donor programming and funding so that programming can be really flexible  

The Hague:  Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’., 2024. 81p..

by: The Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN) Public Health Ontario (PHO)

Ontario is experiencing an ongoing opioid-related toxicity crisis, with 2,534 opioid-related toxicity deaths reported in the province in 2022, representing a 63% increase from 2019.1 Shelters provide short-term accommodation for individuals or families experiencing homelessness, with 7,767 emergency shelter beds reported in Ontario 2022.2 As evidence has suggested, people experiencing homelessness are disproportionately impacted by the current drug toxicity crisis.3 Understanding the prevalence of opioid-related harms occurring within shelters, how these have changed over time, and what interventions can be introduced to support the safety of people who use drugs who access these services is imperative. This is particularly important as recent data has demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to rising opioid toxicity deaths within shelter and supportive housing settings in Ontario, with the number of deaths more than doubling (from 20 to 46 deaths) in the first 9 months of the pandemic.4 This trend has also been reported specifically in Toronto shelter settings, where opioid-related mortality more than tripled from 17 deaths in 2019 to 57 deaths in 2022,5 causing opioid toxicities to be identified as the presumed leading cause of death in shelter settings in Toronto.6 The observed increases in opioid-related toxicity deaths in shelter settings are likely attributable to pandemic-related factors that impacted the population as a whole (e.g., an increasingly toxic unregulated drug supply, increased social isolation and using drugs alone, and pandemic-related disruptions to harm reduction and treatment services) as well as specific changes that may have occurred within shelter settings.7 Specifically, COVID-19-related disruptions had far-reaching impacts on shelters, including the displacement of residents due to physical distancing measures which may have led to accessing an unfamiliar and potentially more dangerous drug supply, decreased staff support, potential changes in overdose response, and reduced harm reduction services for shelter residents, all of which likely exacerbated opioid-related harms in this setting. Importantly, opioid use and related harms among people accessing Ontario’s. shelter system are situated within the complex interplay of several factors including social-economic and housing instability, complex health needs, trauma, mental health, stigma, and various barriers to harm-reduction and treatment.8-11 Within the context of increasing calls to address the growing opioid toxicity crisis within Ontario shelters, including improving access to harm reduction services,12 there is an urgent need to better understand the circumstances surrounding opioid-related toxicity deaths in shelters to help improve evidence-based responses. Therefore, the objective of this report is to use linked coronial records and health administrative data capturing opioid-related toxicity deaths in shelters and health service use across Ontario to better understand the demographic characteristics, circumstances surrounding death, and types of healthcare encounters preceding opioid-related toxicity deaths within Ontario shelters. The goal of this work is to help support an evidence-informed expansion of services within the shelter system that will help to prevent avoidable deaths from substance use that have been observed in recent years 

Ontario:  The Network,  2024. 29p    

By  Faith Hornor Noa Tann Ellen Tyra

  As of early 2023, global elephant ivory and rhino horn seizure rates had not yet fully returned to pre-pandemic levels.1,2 Nevertheless, illicit elephant ivory and rhino horn trafficking endures as a threat to these iconic species. The illicit wildlife trade is not a static enterprise; it is constantly evolving in response to the barriers and opportunities that arise. Countertrafficking stakeholders require a nuanced and updated understanding of elephant ivory and rhino horn trafficking operations to effectively confront the criminal networks sustaining them. This report analyzes trends in publicly reported wildlife seizure data collected in the C4ADS Wildlife Seizure Database and is augmented with data from national-level reporting and representative case studies. In doing so, it identifies key areas for intervention and offers insights that can inform the development of targeted counter-trafficking strategies. Specifically, this report finds that:3 ܰ Geographic patterns of elephant ivory and rhino horn seizures continue to adhere to transcontinental Africa-to-Asia trafficking routes, confirming this trend persists after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.4 ܰ Southern African states play a key role as hubs for elephant ivory and rhino horn trafficking network operations. ܰ Vietnam continues to grow as a continental entry point and consumer location for both elephant ivory and rhino horn. ܰ Outside of land-based seizures, seized shipments of rhino horn are typically transported via the air sector, and elephant ivory through the maritime sector, although less frequently than before the COVID-19 pandemic. ܰ Global elephant ivory seizures have increased since 2021, as indicated by two key measures: total weight seized and average seizure weight. By contrast, rhino horn seizure statistics have fluctuated in recent years. Data-driven decision-making can help counter-wildlife trafficking stakeholders influence the economic and social factors that drive individuals to participate in the illegal wildlife trade, ultimately disrupting the illicit economy and ensuring the future of iconic species. With this impact framework in mind, this report outlines recommendations for law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and other counter-wildlife trafficking stakeholders on how to leverage a data-centric approach to combating illicit elephant ivory and rhino horn trafficking networks.

  Washington, DC:    C4ADS 2024, 34p.

By the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime  

A global reference on drug markets, trends and policy developments, the World Drug Report offers a wealth of data and analysis and in 2024 comprises several elements tailored to different audiences. The web-based Drug market patterns and trends module contains the latest analysis of global, regional and subregional estimates of and trends in drug demand and supply in a user-friendly, interactive format supported by graphs, infographics and maps. The Key findings and conclusions booklet provides an overview of selected findings from the analysis presented in the Drug market patterns and trends module and the thematic Contemporary issues on drugs booklet, while the Special points of interest fascicle offers a framework for the main takeaways and policy implications that can be drawn from those findings.
As well as providing an in-depth analysis of key developments and emerging trends in selected drug markets, the Contemporary issues on drugs booklet looks at several other developments of policy relevance. The booklet opens with a look at the 2022 Taliban ban on the cultivation and production of and trafficking in drugs in Afghanistan and its implications both within the country and in transit and destination markets elsewhere. This is followed by a chapter examining the convergence of drug trafficking and other activities and how they affect natural ecosystems and communities in the Golden Triangle in South-East Asia. The chapter also assesses the extent to which drug production and trafficking are linked with other illicit economies that challenge the rule of law and fuel conflict. Another chapter analyses how the dynamics of demand for and supply of synthetic drugs vary when the gender and age of market participants are considered. The booklet continues with an update on regulatory approaches to and the impact of legalization on the non-medical cannabis market in different countries, and a review of the enabling environment that provides broad access to the unsupervised, “quasi-therapeutic” and non-medical use of psychedelic substances. Finally, the booklet offers a multi-dimensional framework on the right to health in the context of drug use; these dimensions include availability, accessibility, acceptability, quality, non-discrimination, non-stigmatization and participation.

The World Drug Report 2024 is aimed not only at fostering greater international cooperation to counter the impact of the world drug problem on health, governance and security, but also at assisting Member States in anticipating and addressing threats posed by drug markets and mitigating their consequences.

The emergence of new synthetic opioids and a record supply and demand of other drugs has compounded the impacts of the world drug problem, leading to a rise in drug use disorders and environmental harms, according to the World Drug Report 2024 launched by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today.

“Drug production, trafficking, and use continue to exacerbate instability and inequality, while causing untold harm to people’s health, safety and well-being,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC. “We need to provide evidence-based treatment and support to all people affected by drug use, while targeting the illicit drug market and investing much more in prevention.”

The number of people who use drugs has risen to 292 million in 2022, a 20 per cent increase over 10 years. Cannabis remains the most widely used drug worldwide (228 million users), followed by opioids (60 million users), amphetamines (30 million users), cocaine (23 million users), and ecstasy (20 million users).

Nitazenes – a group of synthetic opioids which can be even more potent than fentanyl – have recently emerged in several high-income countries, resulting in an increase in overdose deaths.  

Though an estimated 64 million people worldwide suffer from drug use disorders, only one in 11 is in treatment. Women receive less access to treatment than men, with only one in 18 women with drug use disorders in treatment versus one in seven men.

In 2022, an estimated 7 million people were in formal contact with the police (arrests, cautions, warnings) for drug offences, with about two-thirds of this total due to drug use or possession for use. In addition, 2.7 million people were prosecuted for drug offences and over 1.6 million were convicted globally in 2022, though there are significant differences across regions regarding the criminal justice response to drug offences.

The Report includes special chapters on the impact of the opium ban in Afghanistan; synthetic drugs and gender; the impacts of cannabis legalization and the psychedelic “renaissance”; the right to health in relation to drug use; and how drug trafficking in the Golden Triangle is linked with other illicit activities and their impacts.

Vienna:  United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNODC, 

2024. 169p.

By Enzo Nussio,

Lynching remains a common form of collective punishment for alleged wrongdoers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia today. Unlike other kinds of collective violence, lynching is usually not carried out by standing organizations. How do lynch mobs overcome the high barriers to violent collective action? I argue that they draw on local community ties to compensate for a lack of centralized organization. Lynch mobs benefit from solidarity and peer pressure, which facilitate collective action. The study focuses on Mexico, where lynching is prevalent and often amounts to the collective beating of thieves. Based on original survey data from Mexico City and a novel lynching event dataset covering the whole of Mexico, I find that individuals with more ties in their communities participate more often in lynching, and municipalities with more highly integrated communities have higher lynching rates. As community ties and lynching may be endogenously related, I also examine the posited mechanisms and the causal direction. Findings reveal that municipalities exposed to a recent major earthquake—an event that tends to increase community ties—subsequently experienced increased levels of lynching. Importantly, I find that interpersonal trust is unrelated to lynching, thus showing that different aspects of social capital have diverging consequences for collective violence, with community ties revealing a “dark side.”

American Sociological ReviewVolume 0: Ahead of Print, June 2024.

By United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime -  Ioana Cotutiu, Lead Author

A first-ever mapping of waste trafficking trends from Europe to Southeast Asia has been published on 2 April 2024. Produced by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the new research sheds light on how criminal actors exploit legal trade and regulatory and enforcement loopholes for financial gain. It also explores the negative impact this crime has on the global circular economy. Southeast Asia remains a key destination for illicit waste shipments, the report reveals, with Europe, North America, and Asia identified as primary regions of origin. Common tactics include false declarations, a lack of or incorrect notifications to circumvent regulations and avoid controls, along with missing or inadequate licenses or documents. Data collected from four Southeast Asian countries, three major European Union ports, and international enforcement operations highlight efforts in tackling illegal waste shipments by both origin and destination countries. However, despite regulatory and enforcement measures implemented by countries in which illegal waste ends up — such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Viet Nam — waste trafficking continues to pose a major challenge in the region. The report is a flagship within a series of publications that explore corruption, cybercrime, and legal loopholes as causes behind the problem. It is part of a comprehensive project (Unwaste) to address waste trafficking and its impact on the global circular economy.

Bangkok, Thailand: UNODC, 2024. 158p.

By Camila Gianella Malca 

Aspects of Peruvian politics contribute significantly to deforestation of the Amazon. Informal practices, state capture, and collusion are compounded by the development of intensive agriculture, proposed reforms of small-scale mining and forestry as well as existing legal restrictions. These reforms undermine efforts to protect the Amazon region.Greater transparency and accountability of elected officials, as well as enhanced environmental management, is crucial to meeting the challenges faced by those who wish to protect the Amazon.

Bergen: U4 Anti Corruption Resource Centre, Chr. Michelsen Institute (U4 Brief 2024:5) 2024. 20p.

By Bayar Dashpurev 

Allegations of corruption in Mongolia’s coal trade with China in late 2022 sparked public protests – and highlighted critical shortcomings in the management of the minerals sector. While the government took action to improve policies, enforcement is insufficient and there is a lack of coordination among the different agencies that exercise investigative and prosecutorial powers. Parliamentary elections in 2024 may be an opportune moment for reformers to address these gaps.

  U4 BRIEF 2024

Bergen: Anti-Corruption Resource Center (U4), Chr. Michelsen Institute (U4 Brief 2024:4) 2024. 24p.

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME

From the webpage description: "A global reference on drug markets, trends and policy developments, the World Drug Report offers a wealth of data and analysis and in 2024 comprises several elements tailored to different audiences. The web-based Drug market patterns and trends [hyperlink] module contains the latest analysis of global, regional and subregional estimates of and trends in drug demand and supply in a user-friendly, interactive format supported by graphs, infographics and maps. The Key findings and conclusions booklet [hyperlink] provides an overview of selected findings from the analysis presented in the Drug market patterns and trends module and the thematic Contemporary issues on drugs booklet, while the Special points of interest [hyperlink] fascicle offers a framework for the main takeaways and policy implications that can be drawn from those findings. As well as providing an in-depth analysis of key developments and emerging trends in selected drug markets, the Contemporary issues on drugs booklet [hyperlink] looks at several other developments of policy relevance. [...] The World Drug Report 2024 is aimed not only at fostering greater international cooperation to counter the impact of the world drug problem on health, governance and security, but also at assisting Member States in anticipating and addressing threats posed by drug markets and mitigating their consequences."

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME. 2024

By  Avril Sharp

   Kalayaan works on the assumption that no amount of abuse should be tolerated, permitted to persist or go unchallenged. Key to this is addressing the systemic drivers of exploitation, including the legal structures that make people vulnerable to abuse. Whilst acknowledging that exploitation is multifaceted and abusive employers must be held accountable, our focus in this report is demonstrating the role and legal duty the state has to ensure that our legal systems are compatible with our positive obligations to protect and safeguard all workers. The UK Government has repeatedly acknowledged the vulnerabilities faced by migrant domestic workers over the years, but their concern has been restricted to after-the-event responses that focus measures to rescue workers who have experienced extreme abuse, rather than address the ways in which the legislative and policy framework facilitates their abuse and excludes them from certain fundamental protections as workers in their own right. Since 2012 and against the backdrop of the UK’s hostile environment for migrants, Government policy has seen domestic workers stripped of their labour law rights, immigration enforcement prioritised, and the protections of this workforce placed within a trafficking framework. This has meant workers have had to demonstrate their treatment has deteriorated to the point of slavery before they are able to seek redress. This reactive approach does nothing to prevent abuse escalating, places an evidential burden on workers and obfuscates the role the state plays in handing more control to employers. The visa changes introduced in 2012 under David Cameron formed part of that Government’s objective to reduce net immigration to the UK to under 100,000 people. It sought to achieve this by reducing the rights of migrants on various visa pathways, including domestic workers. Ultimately, this objective failed. The demand for domestic workers has remained consistent and the number of visas being issued remains equally significant. By reducing the rights of domestic workers, the Government did not remove the demand for domestic workers’ labour, and so did not achieve the aim of reducing their number. However, by using a reduction in rights as the method, the move did produce a significant increase in rates of worker exploitation. Evidence from workers, from Kalayaan and other front-line organisations has continuously demonstrated that restrictions on the ability of workers to challenge abusive employers only results in levels of abuse increasing. This evidence has been consistently disregarded for the last 12 years. This must be considered alongside the fact successive Conservative administrations have at the same time refused or rejected measures which would have provided the state with evidence and knowledge of the working conditions faced by this workforce. This report provides evidence compiled by Kalayaan of the abuse experienced by migrant domestic workers in the UK over the last 12 years. It also scrutinises and dismantles the 8 key myths that have been relied on when rejecting calls to reinstate labour law rights for workers, and demonstrates why concessions that have been introduced since 2012 have always fallen short of the unconditional protections that all workers are entitled to and were provided for under the visa regime prior to 2012. Ultimately, the report finds that the myths relied upon by Government are a smokescreen for the state’s failure to ensure our legal system does not facilitate the abuse and exploitation of this workforce. Kalayaan urges the incoming Government to consider the available evidence and reinstate the pre-2012 visa regime so that all migrant domestic workers are protected at work and able to challenge abuse when it arises. We hope this report will assist in discussions with parliamentarians and policy makers as the campaign to restore rights continues  

London: Kalayaan, 2024. 48p.

By European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)

The purpose of the current report is to provide an overview and summary of the European drug situation up to the end of 2023. All grouping, aggregates and labels therefore reflect the situation based on the available data in 2023 in respect to the composition of the European Union and the countries participating in EMCDDA reporting exercises. However, not all data will cover the full period. Due to the time needed to compile and submit data, many of the annual national data sets included here are from the reference year January to December 2022. Analysis of trends is based only on those countries providing sufficient data to describe changes over the period specified. The reader should also be aware that monitoring patterns and trends in a hidden and stigmatised behaviour such as drug use is both practically and methodologically challenging. For this reason, multiple sources of data are used for the purposes of analysis in this report. Although considerable improvements can be noted, both nationally and in respect to what is possible to achieve in a European-level analysis, the methodological difficulties in this area must be acknowledged. Caution is therefore required in interpretation, in particular when countries are compared on any single measure. Caveats relating to the data are to be found in the online Statistical Bulletin 2024, which contains detailed information on methodology, qualifications on analysis and comments on the limitations in the information set available. Information is also available there on the methods and data used for European-level estimates, where interpolation may be used.

Lisbon: European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), 2024. 

By National Counterterrorism Center (U.S.), United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States. Department of Homeland Security

 "This resource is provided to inform law enforcement, terrorism prevention practitioners, other first responders, community leaders, as well as the general public about both threats of violence and contextual behaviors that suggest an individual is mobilizing to violence. While some violent extremists may make direct, indirect, or vague threats of violence, others may plot violent action while avoiding such overt threats to maintain operational security--underscoring the need to consider both threats of violence and contextual behaviors. We have incorporated 'unusual' into many of the indicators because we are looking for behavior that is different enough from the individual's normal behavior to cause concern. The indicators included in this booklet are intended to aid law enforcement and first responder investigative and detection efforts, not to be a substitute for their expertise and experience. In addition, we continue to see that members of the community--such as family members and peers--are often best positioned to witness signs of mobilization to violence. Such community members almost always are the first to detect hints that an individual may be considering violent action in the United States or overseas. This booklet is provided to aid interpretation of their observations. This booklet was first published in 2015 and updated in 2017 and 2019."

Washington, DC: The Authors, 2021.