Global Agenda Council on Organized Crime 2011

Organized crime threatens human security, hindering social, economic and political development. Globalization has accelerated the growth and complexity of transitional criminal networks, largely taking advantage of the networks that facilitate legitimate international transactions. The cross-border flow of global proceeds from criminal activities, corruption and tax evasion is well over US$ 1 trillion, with illegal drugs and counterfeit goods each estimated to account for around 8% of world trade.

Criminal organizations increasingly tap into legal or semi-legal business opportunities to grow and to help hide their criminal activities behind legal ones. Honest businesses can be affected by the risk of polluting their activities by organized crime. 

Organized crime is an expanding global issue that requires building up governance rules and international public-private cooperation; a truly interdisciplinary approach to this topic is needed.

The aim of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Organized Crime is to catalyze investment in the rule of law, in proactive law enforcement strategies, and in building public support for crime-proofing techniques that protect society and improve the world. Effective strategies put into place today – by businesses, communities, and governments -- can have a major effect in minimizing the impact of criminal organizations, putting the brakes on a 21st Century organized crime that is increasingly multinational, network-based, capable, and deadly.

Full details on the work of the Global Agenda Council can be found here. 

For the 2010-11 term, the Global Agenda Council on Organized Crime has decided to focus its efforts on the intersection between organized crime and the legitimate economy, examining the vulnerabilities which cause certain sectors or industries to be particularly prone to organized crime exploitation.