Organized crime a threat to international security and stability

The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (General Assembly resolution 55/25)defines an organized criminal group as “a structured group, committing serious crimes for profit”.Organized crime essentially includes trafficking in drugs, arms, persons, stolen cars or protected species and terrorism.

Researchers agree that such structured group has some permanence, uses violence, corrupts officials, launders criminal proceeds and reinvests in the licit economy.

Organizedcrimes are increasingly posing a threat to international security and stability. National and international policy makers are deeply concerned. There is a connection between transnational organized crime and State fragility.

There is a complex and problematic relationship between human trafficking and corruption as well as state failure (Barnett & Alexandra 2007).

Conflicts create a favorable condition for organized crime and thus facilitate traffickers to operate. It’s a huge challenge to international peace efforts.

Limited efforts have been made to bring together academics, policy-makers and practitioners to discuss openly and share their ideas and experiences on the implications of organized crime for international peace operations (Cockayne&Pfister 2007).

Contemporary peace operations are confronted by a range of violent actors and spoilers in different parts of the world and consequently creating vulnerable communities.

Different forms of organized violence that peace makers face range from traditional separatist movements and rebel groups to warlords, Mafiosi, gangs and drug cartels. These groups prosper in fragile and corrupt states.

They penetrate local governments and traditional temporal and spiritual authority structures.Community participation to deal with this emerging crime is with great importance. However, there is need to more educate people on the crime.

State building and fostering good governance is important in post conflict situations. Organized criminal groups are highly violent repressive and authoritarian in nature. They are interested in corrupting and weakening state law enforcement structures to ensure a permissive environment for illicit activities.

However, the early stages of post conflict state-building create multiple opportunities for organized crime. Criminal organizations may exploit foreign intervention to gain international recognition for their positions of authority in the emerging political and economic life of the country.

In West African conflicts, organized crime networks emerged as spoilers of long-term peace building efforts as local actors took advantage of the cover offered by participation in peace negotiations.

A place at the negotiating table offered an avenue for criminal networks and interest into formal government institutions. In Sierra Leone and Liberia, this led to later crisis when this settlement was overturned.

To deal with human trafficking,parenting and child upbringing plays a big role in prevention of atrocities. Integrated regional Information network (IRIN) reported that in 2008, Ghanaian Nana yaw was sold by his mother for USD 50 when he was only 8 years old.

For nearly two years, his owners forced him to dive for several hours a day to collect fishing nets in Lake Volta. “I ate once a day and I was severely beaten every time I complained I was sick.” Nana told IRIN. His ruthless owners dumped him at the hospital when he contracted a severe respiratory infection. He was unconscious when the doctor received him.

According to the International Organization for Migration, hundreds of children are sold by their parents in Ghana; a surprising report from one of Africa’s most stable nations. The child trafficking crisis we are witnessing in Africa is fundamentally a result of stark and unacceptable levels of poverty. Lifting people out of poverty is key in the battle against human trafficking.

The culture in developing countries with abject poverty encourages child labor. This calls for financially empowering parents.

Poverty and unemployment do not only provide a greatersupply of potential illegal labour for organized criminal activities, butalso create a favorable environment for criminals to exploit the socialfabric of countries as a foundation for organized crime.

Organized crime and democracy work according to guiding principles thatare in direct conflict with one another.

A democratic State upholds thesovereignty of the nation and ensures the protection of the rights of allindividuals, regardless of wealth, social status, age or gender. Organizedcrime as traditionally defined, on the other hand, is built around patronage,carrying on a tradition of feudalism, and does not hesitate to commithuman rights abuses.

Establishing a strong criminal justice system, eradicating poverty in country are key factors to   respond to serious crimes, in particularorganized crime as well as to promote good governance in private sector.