Every corner of our globe currently serves as a source, transit or destination for transnational criminal networks trafficking in people, wildlife, arms and other illegal “commodities”. Trafficking impedes development of good governance, good business, and cross border cooperation. Hundreds of billions of dollars are derived each year from trafficking, thus empowering organized crime and corruption, undermining legitimate businesses, and threatening human rights and the environment.
To mitigate trafficking, governments, corporations and civil society require reliable insights to guide effective enforcement, policies, and prevention strategies. Powered by IBM technology and civil society networks, the Analytical Center of Excellence on Trafficking (ACET, pronounced “asset”) helps stakeholders make sound and timely decisions that reduce trafficking, thereby saving time, money and lives.
ACET also catalogues assets acquired by trafficking networks, enabling governments to seize and reallocate these illegal gains toward programs that compensate and repair communities, wildlife and ecosystems impacted by trafficking. Furthermore, ACET evaluates the economic and societal contributions of biodiversity and communities when protected from trafficking.
A major challenge facing the international community’s counter-trafficking efforts today is the lack, and timely sharing, of verifiable data. Disparate trafficking threats are often confronted through slow, reactive, individualized approaches. Separate government agencies, projects, laws and policies are established to counter trafficking in people, drugs, wildlife, arms, and more. However, research shows that these different forms of illicit trade converge in multiple ways: common routes, methods, bank accounts, and individuals. Data on trafficking is often dispersed and un-analyzed. A surprisingly high number of government agencies in the world lack databases or analytical capacity. Meanwhile, civil society groups hold the majority of high quality information on trafficking of illicit goods, while the amount of open source information on the subject is increasing exponentially due to an increase in reporting and better technology. Still, important information is often not shared in a trusted, secure, timely fashion with agencies, corporations, and people that can act on it.
Using science-based evidence which is analyzed by artificial intelligence technology and subject matter experts, ACET bridges data holders with law enforcement, improves data analysis for quick responses, and spotlights trafficking problems and solutions for:
- Border authorities: to identify real time trends in illicit commodity trafficking;
- Investigators: to track traffickers and their assets;
- Lawmakers: to strengthen and streamline laws and policies to mitigate trafficking;
- Behavior change specialists: to identify social and economic drivers of trafficking;
- Corporations: to ensure compliance with laws and successful socially minded business.
ACET is being developed by a growing alliance of civil society and corporate partners, including Freeland, IBM, Mekong Club, and many others. For more information, contact Steve Galster at: [email protected]