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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
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Results for arms trafficking
10 results foundAuthor: Bliss, Katherine E. Title: Trafficking in the Mesoamerican Corridor: A Threat to Regional and Human Security Summary: This report presents a summary of a one-day meeting intended to (1) raise awareness of the relationships among arms trafficking, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and wildlife trafficking in the Mesoamerican region; (2) identify similarities and differences in approaches to the organized movement of diverse illegal products in the region; (3) discuss the challenge and opportunities for promoting cooperation not just among law enforcement agencies but also among advocacy groups, technical agencies, and research entities; and (4) to articulate recommendations for enhanced cooperation in the future. Details: Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2009. 20p. Source: A Report of the CSIS Americas Program Year: 2009 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 117625 Keywords: Arms TraffickingDrug TraffickingHuman TraffickingWildlife Trafficking |
Author: Astorga, Luis Title: Arms Trafficking from the United States to Mexico: Divergent Responsibilities Summary: Arms trafficking from the United States to Mexico is a central issue in bilateral relations, closely linked to drug trafficking and, in particular, the lethal violence unleashed by Mexican drug trafficking organizations. Violence is always a possibility in any illegal activity, but the magnitude of the current violence is largely related to the availability of high-powered firearms being trafficked across the border from the United States to Mexico. Contributing to this are the divisions and disputes among the leaders of the drug trafficking organizations and their fight for hegemony over routes, markets and other areas created by the diversification of the profits and power derived from this business, as well as the increasing level of conflict with the police and armed forces. Other areas that cannot be overlooked include the weaknesses of Mexican institutions in charge of guaranteeing security and justice, and the decisions of those who run institutions to reduce or neutralize the capacity of criminal organizations, which could be contributing to the violence unleashed by drug traffickers. The availability of guns alone does not necessarily generate violence, but when such violence does exist access to weapons allows it to take on greater dimensions and makes it much harder to control. Drug traffickers are obtaining increasingly sophisticated weapons at reasonably low prices thanks to easy access to guns in the U.S. market. As with drug trafficking, gun smuggling implies a relationship of coresponsibility between supplier and consuming countries; the responsibilities and the capacities of states are different, as are the actions and policies that they should adopt. Details: London: International Drug Policy Consortium, 2010. 5p. Source: Internet Resource; IDPC Policy Briefing Year: 2010 Country: Mexico URL: Shelf Number: 119375 Keywords: Arms SmugglingArms TraffickingFirearms and ViolenceViolenceWeapons |
Author: Killicoat, Phillip Title: Weaponomics: The Global Market for Assault Rifles Summary: This paper introduces the first effort to quantitatively document the small arms market by collating field reports and journalist accounts to produce a cross-country time-series price index of Kalashnikov assault rifles. A model of the small arms market is developed and empirically estimated to identify the key determinants of assault rifle prices. Variables which proxy the effective height of trade barriers for illicit trade are consistently significant in determining weapon price variation. When controlling for other factors, the collapse of the Soviet Union does not have as large an impact on weapon prices as is generally believed. Details: Washington, DC: The World Bank, 2007. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Research Working Paper 4202; Accessed February 17, 2011 at: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2007/04/13/000016406_20070413145045/Rendered/PDF/wps4202.pdf Year: 2007 Country: International URL: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2007/04/13/000016406_20070413145045/Rendered/PDF/wps4202.pdf Shelf Number: 120814 Keywords: Arms TraffickingIllegal TradeWeapons |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Title: Model Law against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition Summary: The Firearms Model Law has been developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to assist States in implementing the provisions contained in the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. By distinguishing between mandatory and optional provisions, and suggested provisions stemming from other legal instruments, the Model Law offers flexible solutions adaptable to the needs of each State, whatever its legal tradition and social, economic, cultural and geographical conditions. The Model Law is a voluntary tool, which requires careful adaptation to the specific domestic legal systems in which it is supposed to operate. Details: Vienna: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 2011. 182. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2012 at http://www.unodc.org/documents/legal-tools/Model_Law_Firearms_Final.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/legal-tools/Model_Law_Firearms_Final.pdf Shelf Number: 124568 Keywords: Arms TraffickingFirearmsGunsLegislation |
Author: Kartas, Moncef Title: On the Edge? Trafficking and Insecurity at the Tunisian-Libyan Border Summary: Tunisia, Libya, and much of the Arab world are in the midst of political and social upheaval widely known as the 'Arab Spring-. Thus far, the tidal wave of change that began in the Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid on 17 December 2010 has led to the end of former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's 23-year dictatorship and to the fall of fellow dictator Muammar Qaddafi in Libya, while also setting off government transformations and conflict across the region. The revolutions in Tunisia and Libya have not only changed the political landscapes in both countries, but also affected the informal networks and ties that have long characterized the shared border region of the two nations: the Jefara. Indeed, the revolution in each country has profoundly affected the other and will probably continue to do so. With this understanding, this report investigates how the Libyan armed conflict and its aftermath have affected the security situation in Tunisia, particularly in light of the circulation of firearms and infiltrations by armed groups. As the circulation of Libyan small arms and light weapons in Tunisia cannot be adequately understood without a closer look at the tribal structures behind informal trade and trafficking networks in the border region, this report examines how the Libyan revolution affected such structures in the Jefara. This Working Paper presents several key findings: - Despite the weakening of the Tunisian security apparatus and the ongoing effects of the armed conflict in Libya, the use of firearms connected to crime and political violence has remained relatively low in Tunisia. Even in light of recent assassinations of two prominent leftist politicians and regular armed clashes between violent extremists, the military, and security forces on the Algerian–Tunisian border, the use of firearms remains the exception rather than the rule. - In Tunisia, firearms trafficking currently exists in the form of small-scale smuggling. However, larger smuggling operations have been discovered and tied to Algeria-based violent extremist networks-such as al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb-which have infiltrated the country. - Since the 1980s, tribal cartels have been in control of informal trade and trafficking in the Jefara. Their continued control rests on the cartels' strategic stance, informal agreements with the government, and their ability to withstand new, Libya-based competitors (both tribal and militia-based). Details: Geneva: Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of international and Development Studies, 2013. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper no. 17: Accessed April 19, 2014 at: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/F-Working-papers/SAS-WP17-Tunisia-On-the-Edge.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Africa URL: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/F-Working-papers/SAS-WP17-Tunisia-On-the-Edge.pdf Shelf Number: 132077 Keywords: Armed ConflictArms TraffickingBorder SecurityCriminal NetworksExtremistsGun-Related ViolenceOrganized CrimeSmuggling |
Author: Gramizzi, Claudio Title: Tackling illicit small arms and light weapons and ammunition in the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa Summary: Following a decision of the Council of the European Union on 27 February 2012, a two-year project on 'Supporting EU-China-Africa dialogue on conventional arms control' was launched on 5 June 2012. Implemented by Saferworld, together with the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association and the Africa Peace Forum the project was aimed at enhancing dialogue between the African, the Chinese and the European civil society and research communities on conventional arms control and the struggle against illicit proliferation and circulation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) through the creation of an 'Africa-China-EU Expert Working Group on conventional arms' (EWG) and its activities. During the project, the EWG, made up of nine high-profile arms control and non-proliferation experts from Africa, China and Europe, acted as a driving force to facilitate dialogue, dissemination of information and research, and to share ideas and expertise among its members and relevant partners on issues related to the illicit proliferation and circulation of SALW and conventional military equipment in Africa, with a specific focus on the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa region of the continent. The main objective of this working paper is to provide an assessment of the threats posed by the proliferation and illicit circulation of SALW and their impact on security and social-economic development in the countries of the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa; to illustrate the outcomes of the EWG activities and experiences; to highlight lessons learnt during the meetings and consultations held within the EWG and with relevant partners in Africa, China and the EU; and formulate recommendations regarding ways to maximise the results obtained over the two-year period of the project, and how this might be used to inform future work through Africa-China-EU tripartite cooperation in the area of SALW and arms control. Details: London: Africa Peace Forum, China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, Saferworld, 2014. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 30, 2015 at: http://www.saferworld.org.uk/resources/view-resource/838-tackling-illicit-small-arms-and-light-weapons-and-ammunition-in-the-great-lakes-and-the-horn-of-africa Year: 2014 Country: Africa URL: http://www.saferworld.org.uk/resources/view-resource/838-tackling-illicit-small-arms-and-light-weapons-and-ammunition-in-the-great-lakes-and-the-horn-of-africa Shelf Number: 136279 Keywords: Arms TraffickingIllicit TradeOrganized CrimeTerrorists |
Author: de Tessieres, Savannah Title: At the Crossroads of Sahelian Conflicts: Insecurity, Terrorism, and Arms Trafficking in Niger Summary: Key findings Terrorism At the crossroads of the region's most violent conflicts, Niger has served as a primary transit point for armed criminal and terrorist groups operating in the various conflict theatres that surround it. Everything from people, weapons, and low-tech communications pass through Niger's borders, providing a rich source of intelligence that is critical to understanding the nature of cross-border relationships and networks of trafficking and terrorist groups. Niger presents a privileged arena in which to observe the array of terrorist dynamics across the Sahel, and to take action against them. The country has become a major partner in counter-terrorism strategies for regional and western powers. Relatively spared by the threat of terrorism until 2015, the increase in terrorist attacks in Niger since then, first by Boko Haram and then by AQIM-related groups or splinter cells, run in parallel with the enhanced engagement of the Nigerien authorities against terrorism in the region, including MNJTF, MINUSMA, and G5 Sahel efforts. While the north of the country is particularly affected by armed banditry, the south has suffered the bulk of terrorist attacks. In 2016, Boko Haram was responsible for perpetrating 80 per cent of the terrorist attacks carried out on Nigerien soil, but 2017 saw a surge in deadly attacks against security positions near the borders of Burkina Faso and Mali by AQIM- and IS-related groups based in Mali. Sahelian terrorist groups find Niger a fertile recruiting ground and exploit long-standing community divisions, which are in turn exacerbated by increasing insecurity. Arms trafficking Niger has served as a key transit route for weapons heading to conflict zones in the region, but the deterioration of the country's security situation has resulted in an increase in the domestic demand for weapons, particularly for small arms and ammunition. Arms seized from terrorists or en route to terrorist groups in Niger over the past five years include explosives, small arms and light weapons (SALW) and associated ammunition (including MANPADS, mortar rounds, and machine guns). Vehicles were also seized. Terrorist groups operating in Niger, including those based in Mali and Nigeria, have been obtaining materiel from a variety of sources-including from national stockpiles in the region-following the collapse of state control over arsenals, as in Libya or northern Mali, attacks against security positions, or diversion in countries such as Niger or Nigeria. Ammunition held by terrorist groups, other armed actors, and civilians is very similar, indicating common sources of illicit ammunition, including past rebellions and national stockpiles from Niger and neighbouring countries. However, it does vary between the regions: while chains of transfers in the north originate mainly from Libya and Mali, materiel in the south-east comes mainly from Chad and Nigeria. While Libya continues to be a source for illicit weapons in Niger, including converted blank'firing handguns, trafficking from Libya has declined significantly since 2014 due to the depletion of Qaddafi's SALW stockpiles, national demand reinvigorated in light of renewed conflict in Libya, and increased levels of surveillance and counteraction in Niger with the deployment of Operation Barkhane. Details: Geneva, SWIT: Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, 2018. 112p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 19, 2018 at: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/U-Reports/SAS-SANA-Report-Niger.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Niger URL: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/U-Reports/SAS-SANA-Report-Niger.pdf Shelf Number: 149854 Keywords: Arms TraffickingIllicit TraffickingTerrorismTerroristsTrafficking in ArmsViolence |
Author: Interpol Title: Overview of Serious and Organized Crime in North Africa Summary: Executive Summary Transnational organized crime in Northern Africa poses a substantial threat to the safety and security of all member countries in the region, and poses a significant challenge to law enforcement agencies. As a result, INTERPOL, under the European Union funded ENACT Project, has sought to catalogue and assess organized crime in the region to help drive a more strategic law enforcement response. International criminal organizations target North Africa due to the significant illicit wealth that can be generated from criminal market opportunities throughout the region, notably but not limited to drug trafficking, arms trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, the counterfeiting of a range of goods, and the illicit traffic of cultural heritage. Crime syndicates exploit various social issues and take advantage of state fragility and limited law enforcement policing capacities to conceal and develop their activities. In addition, there are a number of additional facilitating factors bolstering organized criminality throughout the region such as the length of the region's borders with sub-Saharan Africa, the strategic geographic position of the region between sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, the inclusion of North African countries in global trade flows, fragile economies, war profiteering stemming from many of the recent conflicts in the region or its vicinity, as well as corruption to varying degrees. The threat from organized crime in Northern Africa is therefore substantial, yet often going undetected and underreported, despite various data sources indicating major activities and dynamics of groups and networks active in the region. This mostly stems from limited and unequal capacity amongst law enforcement in the region to manage complex organized crime issues. A greater awareness of the scope and functioning of organized crime in North Africa, nurturing stronger partnerships amongst law enforcement agencies in the region, will contribute to better tackle the threat posed by organised crime. Details: Lyon, France: Interpol, 2018. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2019 at: https://enactafrica.org/research/analytical-reports/interpol-overview-of-serious-and-organised-crime-in-north-africa-2018 Year: 2018 Country: Africa URL: https://enact-africa.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2018-12-12-interpol-north-africa-report.pdf Shelf Number: 154820 Keywords: Arms TraffickingCrime SyndicatesCriminal NetworksDrug TraffickingHuman SmugglingNorth AfricaOrganized CrimeTransnational Organized Crime |
Author: Hideg, Gergely Title: Darkening Horizons: Global Violent Deaths Scenarios, 2018-30 Summary: This Briefing Paper analyses trends in global violent deaths based on data updated to 2017, which provides a benchmark for the scenarios for the period 2018-30 that constitute the main focus of the paper. The year 2017 was characterized by a marked increase in lethal violence, primarily due to a rise in homicides (that is, non-conflict deaths). The paper presents three different, but plausible scenarios reflecting possible trends in global violent deaths in the period 2018-30. These are: (1) a 'business-as-usual' scenario, where international efforts to reduce lethal violence continue as at present; (2) a positive scenario, where concerted efforts lead to reductions in global violent death rates; and (3) a negative scenario, where inaction and escalating lethal violence cause a significant increase in global violent death rates. All three scenarios are derived from longer-term trends and underline the need for policy-makers to renew efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Target 16.1. Details: Geneva, Switzerland: Small Arms Survey, 2019. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 30, 2019 at: https://reliefweb.int/report/world/darkening-horizons-global-violent-deaths-scenarios-2018-30 Year: 2019 Country: International URL: https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/SAS-BP-Violent-Deaths-Scenarios.pdf Shelf Number: 156084 Keywords: Arms TraffickingFirearmsHomicideLethal ViolenceSmall ArmsViolent CrimeViolent Deaths |
Author: Walker, Summer Title: Fragmented But Far-Reaching: The UN System's mandate and response to organized crime Summary: From peace operations to how to better manage forests and food supply chains, the United Nations (UN) is engaged in the fight against organized crime and efforts to mitigate its impact within the ambit of the UN's wider goals: peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. Mandates relating to key crime types are often allocated to one or more agencies or departments across the UN System, but, as always, mandates evolve, and information about these mandates and the relevant programmes and activities carried out by agencies can be fragmented, scattered and duplicatory. For some emerging or resurging forms of crime, mandates allocated decades ago have required a far more comprehensive set of responses in their contemporary forms. To better understand the UN's overall mandate for addressing organized crime, the Global Initiative conducted a desk review of the UN's entities and agencies to identify their mandates and working agendas for organized crime, specifically in relation to the UN's work on six crime types that have had major impacts on broader UN goals, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper is a companion piece to an interactive online tool, which displays the organized-crime agendas within the UN System. The tool's purpose is to provide a better understanding of the UN's counter-crime work and serve as a basis for discussion about how organized crime challenges, which are now far-reaching and serious, could be more effectively met and how UN System resources can be used more coherently. The mandate for addressing organized crime extends across the UN System in a way that is expansive, exhaustive and certainly under-appreciated. A review by the Global Initiative has identified a working agenda for 79 out of the UN's 102 entities, bodies and agencies, or nearly 77 per cent. The research (see Figure 1) found that 37 per cent of these entities address human trafficking, and 33 per cent work on illicit drugs. Environmental crime was third, with 28 per cent of entities addressing related issues. Cybercrime and financial crime both saw 22 out of the 102 entities addressing the issue (21 per cent), and arms trafficking is worked on by 21 entities, yet this understanding of arms trafficking does not include illicit chemical and nuclear material trafficking. This paper examines the implications this has for the UN System given such a widely dispersed mandate. Organized crime is a cross-cutting threat to the goals of many different sectors, in all three core areas of the UN's work: peace and security, human rights and development. Previous analysis conducted by the Global Initiative found that organized crime affects a high proportion of the SDGs. An additional Global Initiative review of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions in 2018 found that 22 of the 54 resolutions (40 per cent) referred to a form of organized crime, showing a significant recognition of the problem on the international security agenda. Given the diverse nature of organized-crime threats, it is possible to argue that perhaps it is only right that the requirement to respond to organized crime is distributed across the UN System so widely. But without a coherent strategy underpinning this wide mandate, responses to organized crime across the system can be fragmented, and opportunities to achieve synergies and learn lessons from responses are not maximized, or perhaps not realized at all. Organized crime is a challenge that rises and falls on the global policy priority list. The diversity of illicit markets and the fact the harm caused by organized crime tends to be more corrosive in nature than sensational mean that it is often overlooked or downgraded on the priority list. However, over the past two decades, there have been certain points when the threat of a specific form of organized crime became so compelling that it demanded an urgent response from the international community and the UN System. These flashpoints in the debate - for example, during the piracy crisis in the Gulf of Aden in 2011/12 (see page 3), or the demand for a response to human smuggling and trafficking in 2016/17 - have regrettably shone a light on the UN System's shortcomings rather than draw attention to the efficacy of the world's global governance mechanism to respond to shared, transnational threats that require collective response. Many efforts have been made to create better UN System coherence, but with the global scale and impact of organized crime on the rise, the need to recognize its corrosive impact on major UN objectives should be an imperative for the following reasons: - Organized crime is a leading cause of violence and homicide globally. - Criminal interests and corruption in natural-resource sectors are leading drivers of deforestation and unsustainable natural-resource extraction. - Organized crime has a destructive impact on governance, anti-corruption, economic development and trade, and environmental protection efforts. - Serious rights violations to individuals are caused by organized crime, such as the interlinking phenomena of modern slavery, forced labour, human trafficking and aggravated smuggling. It is very clear when looking at the spread of activity across the system that the issue is not solely a law-enforcement problem. Threats posed by criminal groups are wide-ranging: they impact good governance, breed corruption and weaken development agendas. A holistic view of the issues aligned with increased coherence would help shrink the learning curve on the pervasive impact of organized crime on international security, development and human rights. Details: Geneva: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, 2019. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 24, 2019 at: https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/gitoc_un_june_19.pdf Year: 2019 Country: International URL: https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/gitoc_un_june_19.pdf Shelf Number: 156607 Keywords: Arms TraffickingCybercrimeEnvironmental CrimeFinancial CrimeHuman RightsHuman TraffickingIllicit DrugsModern SlaveryOrganized CrimeTransnational Organized CrimeUnited Nations |