This episode explores the latest developments in the process to negotiate a UN treaty on cyber crimes, including a look back at April's 5th Ad Hoc Committee meeting, the upcoming publication of a draft treaty, and the next meeting in August. GI-TOC's Ian Tennant discusses key issues such as how the treaty should enable capacity building for states whilst protecting rights, and ensuring the involvement of civil society - with leading experts from Chatham House and the CyberPeace Institute.Presenter(s):Ian Tennant, Head of Vienna Multilateral Representation & Resilience Fund, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeGuests:Joyce Hakmeh, Deputy Director, International Security Programme; Co-Editor, Journal of Cyber Policy, Chatham HousePavlina Pavlova, Public Policy Adviser, CyberPeace Institute.Additional LinksGlobal Initiative against Transnational Organized CrimeUN cybercrime treaty Ad Hoc Committee: Circle remains unsquared

In April 2023, the Ad Hoc Committee to elaborate a treaty on the misuse of ICTs for criminal purposes will meet to discuss a chapter on technical assistance, among other topics. As well on 6 March, technical assistance will be discussed during the intersessional with multi-stakeholders and governments. In this podcast, Summer Walker speaks to Tomslin Samme-Nlar and Nate Allen, authors of report, The downsides of digital revolution: Confronting Africa’s evolving cyber threats.  They discuss security risks identified in the report specific to cybercrime and the implications for this on technical needs as well as recommendations for treaty negotiators.Presenter(s):Summer Walker, Head of Multilateral Affairs, NY, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeGuests:Tomslin Samme-Nlar, Research Director at Gefona Digital Foundation, a not-for-profit digital policy research organization in Cameroon.Nate Allen, Associate professor of Security Studies at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Washington DC.Additional Links:The downsides of digital revolution: Confronting Africa’s evolving cyber threats

In this episode, we look back at the recent CITES Conference of the Parties in Panamá, and explore how this multilateral process addresses environmental crimes. The GI-TOC was there and focussed on international cooperation and responses to the online illegal wildlife trade. But what was achieved at the Conference and what impact it could it have on the damaging criminal markets concerned.Presenter(s):Ian Tennant, Head of Vienna Multilateral Representation & Resilience Fund, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeGuests:Simone Haysom, Thematic Lead on Environmental Crime, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.Abim Anim, Officer in charge of Nigeria Customs Service Special Wildlife Office.* World Customs Organisation (WCO) accredited Expert, Technical and Operational advisor in the field of Illegal Wildlife Trade. National Contact Point For WCO's Regional Intelligence Liaison Office (West Africa).Kumar Paudel, Conservation scholar from Nepal. For over 10 years, he has worked to protect threatened wildlife from illegal harvesting and trade, and he leads a conservation non-profit organization called Greenhood Nepal. Kumar was a Fellow of the GI-TOC's Resilience Fund in 2022.Alastair MacBeath, Analyst, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized CrimeAdditional LinksGlobal Initiative against Transnational Organized CrimeCITES, Nineteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties

In this episode, Ian sits down with Dr Jarrett Blaustein, the author of a new book 'Unraveling the Crime-Development Nexus' . Together, Ian and Jarrett discuss the evolution and history of the UN's response to organized crime and its governance structures, in the context of the upcoming Conference of Parties to the UNTOC. They consider the link between crime and sustainable development, and why more integrated and strategic approaches are needed from the multilateral system.Looking ahead to the 17-21 October UNTOC Conference of Parties, they explore how to enhance the role of civil society and network building, to bolster our chances in the future of the fight against transnational organized crime.Presenter(s):Ian Tennant, Head of Vienna Multilateral Representation, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeGuest(s)Dr Jarrett Blaustein, Associate Professor and Senior Fellow at the School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) at the Australian National University - TwitterAdditional Links:Book Offer: 'Unraveling the Crime-Development Nexus' by Jarrett Blaustein is available online and UN & Organized Crime Podcast listeners can get a discount on the eBook by using the promo code: RLFANDF30

In this episode, we discuss the ongoing UN negotiations to create a global instrument to address cybercrime, or what it is called formally: countering the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) for criminal purposes. In May and June the second meeting of the UN Ad Hoc Committee (AHC) took place in Vienna. It was the first meeting that dealt with the potential substance of a treaty. Delegates addressed three main topics: general provisions, such as overall purpose; provisions on criminalization, and provisions on procedural measures and law enforcement. Presenter(s):Ian Tennant, Head of Vienna Multilateral Representation & Resilience Fund, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeSummer Walker, Head of Multilateral Affairs, NY, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeGuests:Neno Malisevic, Director of Digital Diplomacy at MicrosoftRahman Jeet Singh Cheema, Asia Policy Director and Senior International Counsel at Access Now