The Foreign Service Journal, October 2018

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2018 25 of the illicit economy often travel long and disguised routes, it is necessary that responses are not only national or regional, but that they combine expertise from countries along the entire sup- ply chain. The convergence of different commodities along these diverse routes—such as drugs and people, or wildlife and arms— suggests that stovepiping of specializations in embassies must be overcome. Only governments compartmentalize their responses; crimi- nals and corrupt officials combine their activities to maximize their competitive advantage. The government, through its embas- sies overseas, needs to be able to work more effectively to follow the money. Different government agencies with responsibility for combating transnational crime—such as the Department of Homeland Security and its U.S. Customs and Border Protection division, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Treasury Department—must work with diplomats to develop, implement and execute efficient responses to the ever-changing behavior of transnational criminals. For an effective U.S. response to illicit trade, the following strategies are needed: 1) Understand the dynamics of illicit trade in one’s country and region. Such transactions often mirror licit trade in their modus operandi. It is therefore important to understand the cultural, historical and business practices that produce distinct patterns of illegal trade in different regions. Members of the U.S. Foreign Service, with their varied educational and professional backgrounds, are ideally placed to understand distinct trade prac- tices and modus operandi. 2) Assemble interagency working groups, both within coun- try teams and inWashington, D.C., to address elements of the illicit economy. This is necessary to ensure that those address- ing counternarcotics, weapons proliferation, human trafficking or terrorism do not approach the different types of illicit trade as separate and distinct phenomena. Criminals do not stovepipe. On the contrary, illicit traders have diversified their criminal activity into many different areas. 3) Learn from success. Progress has been made against human trafficking by raising awareness of the problem, naming and shaming those who fail to act, and providing more resources Only governments compartmentalize their responses; criminals and corrupt officials combine their activities to maximize their competitive advantage. to victims of the crime. By developing and publicizing effective countermeasures, practitioners working to stem the growth of human trafficking have made countries and civil society more aware of what can be done. The TIP Report has proven effective in many countries in mobilizing resources to counter the problem. Efforts to understand trends and to identify meaningful changes in patterns has been extremely useful to practitioners. The les- sons of countering human trafficking can be transferred to other spheres of illicit trade. 4) Develop public-private partnerships. Public-private partnerships need to be central to a strategy to counter illicit trade because, increasingly, illegal trade is proceeding in cyberspace, which is controlled by private companies rather than govern- ments. Partnerships with the private sector are also crucial because many of the illicit commodities traded compete directly with the legitimate economy. Companies have the insights and the resources to probe deeply into the dynamics of illicit trade and have the motivation to be partners in this activity. This is true whether one is dealing with textile, shoe or electronic parts manu- facturers, pharmaceutical companies or software producers. 5) Develop and enhance anticorruption activities. These are key to stopping illicit trade because government officials are far too often facilitators, and corruption in ports allows harm- ful goods to exit. Countering high-level corruption is essential to stopping the escalating trade in wildlife, trees and other natural resources. 6) Enhance cooperation with law enforcement. Continue to maintain law enforcement training and collaborative relationships based on careful vetting of partners. Extensive programs already exist in the terrorism arena, and more could be done to combat the diverse forms of illicit trade. 7) Support nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on the ground. NGOs have proven effective partners in fighting human trafficking and providing aid to victims. This has both boosted civil society and empowered women. Much more can be done in working with civil society groups that are trying to protect wildlife, establishing associations to help uneducated farmers avoid purchasing counterfeit pesticides and seeds, and providing means for purchasers of medicines to ensure that they receive authentic products rather than counterfeits. n