Side event, 12th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCTO: Undoing the links that unite European and African organized criminal groups

Side event, 12th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCTO: Undoing the links that unite European and African organized criminal groups

The links between European and African criminal groups, their modus operandi and the illicit markets they exploit affect national and regional security.

Date: 2024-10-16

Time: 12:00 p.m. to 12:50 p.m.

Location: Vienna International Center, room M7

RSVP: Darren Brookbanks

The impact of foreign criminal actors in Africa has continued to increase since 2019. Vast and porous borders, systemic corruption, abundance of natural resources and weak reliance on the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and extradition treaties make Africa attractive to foreign criminal enterprises. . And foreign criminal actors are attracted to Europe’s well-integrated international trade flows.

The side event provides the latest information on the links between European and African criminal groups and actors, their operations and illicit markets. The event will highlight the implications for national and regional security and discuss strategies to dismantle these activities, including through strengthened implementation of the UNCTOC.

This event is co-organized by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), INTERPOL and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC).

Moderator: Anabella Corridoni, Analytical Coordinator, INTERPOL

Opening remarks: EU Representative

Panelists:

• Nathalia Durkhan, Director, Central Africa Observatory, GI-TOC
• Zobel Behalal, Senior Analyst, GI-TOC
• Yann le Cloarec, criminal intelligence analyst, INTERPOL
• Dr Willis Okumu, ENACT Senior Researcher, East Africa Regional Organized Crime Observatory, ISS