We are currently working with USAID to develop guidance on strengthening rule of law (ROL) approaches to address organized crime. As part of this effort, we organized a series of roundtables and white papers to better understand key dynamics between organized crime and ROL.

In previous work, we have:

• Developed a programming guide to counter drug trafficking and ameliorate its impacts, drawing from case studies on Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique and Sierra Leone;
• Assessed the links between organized crime, conflict and fragility through a literature review and case studies in Nigeria, Guatemala and the Democratic Republic of the Congo that highlighted piracy and trafficking in persons, drugs, wildlife, natural resources and arms;
• Examined what kinds of illicit activities are more likely to lead to corruption of high-level officials, how high-level corruption affects politics in different contexts, and how durable illicit networks are in the face of political upheavals when new political leaders replace corrupt officials;
• Produced a study on “Street Gangs and Violent Extremist Organizations: Learning Across Fields”, drawing on a desk study and two experts’ roundtables to identify applicable lessons and programming recommendations that translate across the two domains;
• Assessed the impact of organized crime on conflict in Niger focusing on regional smuggling networks and youth gangs;
• Examined the economics of cocaine trafficking and maritime piracy in West Africa, and the socioeconomic impact of drug trafficking in South Africa; and
• Conducted a rapid political economy assessment of counterfeit pharmaceuticals in Benin and the hunting concession process in Tanzania.