Hidden Trade Routes: Illicit Networks and Alternative Markets in Sanctions

Illicit Financial Flows have long been recognized for their destabilizing impact on economies, yet their role in enabling corruption and institutional capture, related to sanctions evasion and sustaining military conflicts has received less mainstream attention in comparison to issues like tax evasion or organized crime. How state capture and corrupt practices within governments and institutions contribute to the proliferation of illicit trade networks? How vulnerable are countries with historical ties to the Kremlin to becoming key hubs for illicit trade in dual-use goods, facilitating sanctions evasion and fuelling war efforts? Can corruption and related illicit trade be considered primary tools for circumventing sanctions and undermining multilateral efforts for peace and security? What could the donor community do to address these issues at the current geopolitical cross-roads?

SPEAKERS

Paul M. Heywood, Programme Director at GI ACE and Sir Francis Hill Chair of Politics, University of Nottingham

Tihomira Kostova, Senior Research Analyst, Center for the Study of Democracy

Nedim Hogic, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Oslo

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