Illicit Trade
The research on sanctions implementation is also a study of sanctions busting.
Since sanctions are, in essence, a form of trade regulation, their circumvention relies on classical techniques of money laundering and smuggling that characterize most illicit trade activities. This phenomenon has now become my primary research interest.
Building upon my work on sanctions busting, my research explores two key dimensions of illicit trade:
The Gatekeepers
I focus on the gatekeepers of globalization—those actors who operate simultaneously on the bright and dark sides of global exchange. They are the gatekeepers because, while engaging in illicit activities, they are also essential to the very functioning of globalization.
International Cooperation on Illicit Trade
I am interested in the mechanisms of international cooperation surrounding illicit trade. This involves a wide array of actors, both public and private, who collectively shape the impact of globalization on communities, states, and the global system as a whole.
See the website of our Cost Action GLITSS.