Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Last updated
Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime
Formation2013;12 years ago (2013)
Type International non-governmental organization
PurposeResponses to organized crime
Headquarters Geneva, Switzerland
Region served
Worldwide
Mark Shaw
Main organ
 Board of directors, elected by the Annual General Meeting
Website globalinitiative.net OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), sometimes shortened as Global Initiative, is an international non-governmental organization headquartered in Geneva. [1] The organisation is composed of a network of law enforcement, governance and development practitioners, who share the objective of developing innovative strategies and responses to organized crime. [2] In July 2020, the network counted 500 experts. [3]

Contents

The organisation was launched formally at the United Nations headquarters, in New York in September 2013. [4] It was initially established with funding and operational support from both the Governments of Norway and of Switzerland. [5] The Global Initiative has offices in Geneva, Vienna, Cape Town, and Malta.

Governance

The Global Initiative Board for 2017-2020 is composed of Sarah F. Cliffe (Chair), and board members Rodrigo Avila, Gwen Boniface, Solange Ghernaouti, Misha Glenny, Marc Hofstetter, Kristin Kvigne, Nick Lewis, Moises Naim, Mary Jane C. Ortega and Gladwell Otieno. [6] The leadership team is composed of Mark Shaw (Director) and Tuesday Reitano (Deputy Director). [7]

Activities and partnerships

The Global Initiative has published numerous publications, reports and policy briefs on organised crime. [8] [9] It has published a report together with the World Wide Fund for Nature on combatting environmental crime. [10]

According to an article at Polizia Moderna, [2] the Global Initiative is the first organisation which analysed the risks and dangers associated with the infiltration of criminal organisations into the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a focus on the social and economic results. In March 2020, the organisation published a report of which summarized the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on crime. [11]

In 2024 the Global Initiative published a report on the criminal background to migrant smuggling across the English Channel. [12]

The Global Initiative provides briefings to the United Nation Security Council, highlighting that the United Nations System needs a coherent, streamlined and strategic approach to combat organized crime and to reduce its negative impacts on peace and prosperity. [13]

Together with Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management Ltd., the Global Initiative developed an illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing index for coastal states, which measures the degree to which states are exposed to and effectively combat IUU fishing. [14]

The Global Initiative co-organizes workshops with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime focusing on non-governmental alliances and developing multi-stakeholder engagement, in the context of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). [15]

Together with Babson College and the International Organization for Migration, the Global Initiative is a founder of the Responsible and Ethical Private Sector Coalition against Trafficking (RESPECT) initiative, which aims to find solutions to modern slavery in the public and private sectors. [16]

The Global Initiative has partnerships with Interpol, [17] and Wilton Park. [18] It is a member of the Geneva Center for Security Sector Governance, [19] and of the Global Risk Governance programme. [20]

Global Organized Crime Index

The Global Organized Crime Index is a index that measures and ranks countries based on the prevalence of organized crime and their resilience to it. The Index was first published in 2021 by GI-TOC and was based on the 2019 ENACT Organised Crime Index for Africa. [21] [22]

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The Global Organized Crime Index is a index that measures and ranks countries based on the prevalence of organized crime and their resilience to it. It evaluates criminal activities like drug trafficking, human trafficking, and cybercrime, alongside a country's ability to combat these threats through governance, law enforcement, and international cooperation. The index is developed by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), a network of experts dedicated to addressing organized crime globally.

References

  1. ↑ Zvekic, Ugljesa (2014-10-08). "The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime - exploring new challenges and responses". Bundeskriminalamt - 7th Research Conference on Organised Crime. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  2. 1 2 Nazzaro, Sergio (June 2020). "Pandemia mafiosa" [Pandemia Mafiosa]. poliziamoderna.poliziadistato.it (in Italian). Polizia Moderna. pp. 9–10. Retrieved 2020-06-23. Fondata nel 2013 e con sede a Ginevra, la Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (Gi-TOC) comprende una rete di oltre 500 esperti su diritti umani, democrazia, governance e questioni di sviluppo in cui il tema della criminalità organizzata è diventato sempre più pertinente. La GI-TOC offre una piattaforma per promuovere dibattito e approcci innovativi a una strategia globale e inclusiva contro la criminalità organizzata, tramite l'elaborazione di politiche sociali, la facilitazione del dialogo multisettoriale, e lo sviluppo di strumenti e programmi necessari per dare risposte veloci e efficaci a problematiche emergenti. Primo centro studi internazionale che ha promosso a livello mondiale il Covid Crime Watch per analizzare i rischi e i pericoli legati all'infiltrazione di organizzazioni criminali nella gestione della pandemia da Covid-19, per studiarne le dinamiche, ma anche le risultanze a livello sociale e a livello economico.
  3. ↑ Tolliver, Sandy (2020-07-12). "Layered pandemics: Transnational organized crime rages in the time of COVID". The Hill. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  4. ↑ "UNU-ONY Head James Cockayne to Speak at Launch of Global Initiative on Transnational Organized Crime - United Nations University". United Nations University. 2013-09-19. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  5. ↑ "Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime". European Commission Knowledge for policy.
  6. ↑ "Board". Global Initiative. 2017-06-27. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  7. ↑ "Secretariat". Global Initiative. 2017-06-27. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  8. ↑ "Publications | Content Types | Global Initiative". Archived from the original on 2020-06-24. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  9. ↑ "Policy Briefs | Content Types | Global Initiative". Archived from the original on 2020-07-07. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  10. ↑ "WWF and Global Initiative launch new report at UN Crime Congress in Doha". World Wildlife Foundation. 2015-04-13. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  11. ↑ "Crime and Contagion: The impact of a pandemic on organized crime". Global Initiative. 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  12. ↑ "The industrialization of cross-channel migrant smuggling". Global Initiative. 22 February 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  13. ↑ "International crime gangs amass 'staggering' profits in conflict zones, expert tells Security Council". UN News. 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  14. ↑ Wahlen, Catherine Benson (2019-03-05). "IUU Index Finds World Off Track on SDG Targets 14.4 and 14.6". SDG Knowledge Hub. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  15. ↑ "Fighting transnational organized crime together: UNODC launches project on multi-stakeholder engagement in the UNTOC review process". United Nations : Office on Drugs and Crime. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  16. ↑ "Who we are | RESPECT" . Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  17. ↑ "Project ENACT". www.interpol.int. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  18. ↑ "Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime Archives". Wilton Park. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  19. ↑ Team (ISSAT), International Security Sector Advisory. "The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime". International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT). Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  20. ↑ "Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime | Global Risk Governance Programme". www.grgp.uct.ac.za. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  21. ↑ "About the project - The Organized Crime Index". ocindex.net. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  22. ↑ Mastrangelo, Lindsey (2021-09-29). "Global Organized Crime Index 2021". Homeland Security Digital Library. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
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