Understanding and Tackling the Roots of Insecurity: Terrorism, Transnational Organised Crime and Corruption

Following the success of the Standing Group on Organised Crime (SGOC)’s section at the ECPR General Conference in Bordeaux in 2013, SGOC members would like to propose a new section “Understanding and Tackling the Roots of Insecurity: Terrorism, Transnational Organised Crime and Corruption”. This section aims to shed light onto the increasing prevalence of transnational threats, which have left an imprint on notions of sovereignty, and national and international security, as well as affected communities and individuals worldwide. It also aims to examine in detail a series of phenomena that are currently understood as transnational security threats, including, but not limited to, terrorism and terrorism financing, transnational organised crime in its various manifestations, environmental crime, illegal migration, cyber-crime, and illicit economics of failed states and (post)-conflict areas. The section calls for assessments on the relevance of these problems for the security of the international and European communities, both states and individuals. Among other objectives, the section invites to discuss the ways national governments and international and supranational organisations have come to understand such transnational threats, proposed strategies to counter them and acted upon them. By addressing these key issues, we expect to engage with the continued debate on conventional and alternative theoretical approaches towards defining, studying and responding to terrorism, organised crime and corruption in various parts of the world and by various actors. Considering the disciplinary diversity existing in this area, this debate could be instrumental in building bridges across academic and methodological traditions. The section welcomes individual papers on topics related to the following panels: 1. Critical Reflections on the Concepts of Terrorism, Organised Crime and Corruption Given the ambiguity contained in the concepts of terrorism, organised crime and corruption, this first panel aims at exploring key aspects of definitional debates and at analysing their evolution in recent years. It wishes to understand how both academics and policy-makers have attempted to deal with difficulties in defining these phenomena. Panel Chair: Francesca Longo (University of Catania) lonfran@unict.it Panel Co-chair: Norma Rossi (University of Reading) N.Rossi@pgr.reading.ac.uk 2. Policy-Making Responses to Terrorism, Organised Crime and Corruption This panel wishes to look into the responses national governments and international and supranational organisations (such as the EU, NATO, Council of Europe, United Nations, etc.) have adopted to deal with terrorism, organised crime and corruption. Papers reflecting on issues related to sovereignty and violent non-state actors, global anti-corruption regimes, and anti-corruption movements are welcome. Panel Chair: Christian Kaunert (University of Dundee) c.kaunert@dundee.ac.uk Panel Co-chair: Petr Kupka (Masaryk University) petr.kupka.jr@gmail.com 3. The Nexus between Terrorism and Organised Crime Considering the degree of dangerousness that both organised crime and terrorism currently represent in the world, the collusion between these two phenomena is of urgent interest. This panel aims at contributing to the existing debate on the crime-terror nexus from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. Panel Chair: Tamara Makarenko (West Sands Advisory) tamara@wsallp.com Panel Co-chair: Falko Ernst (University of Essex) faerns@essex.ac.uk 4. Violent Extremism and Radicalization This panel invites scholars to explore the links between political and/or religious radicalization and the development of violent extremism. It also wishes to study how such links contribute to the emergence/increase of phenomena such as terrorism, organised crime and corruption. Panel Chair: Bill Tupman (University of Exeter) watupman@gmail.com Panel Co-chair: Panos Kostakos (University of Bath) panos.kostakos@googlemail.com 5. Law Enforcement Responses to Terrorism, Organised Crime and Corruption This panel wishes to focus on law enforcement capacities in the fight against terrorism, organised crime and corruption, including, but not limited to, the development of rule of law-based criminal justice systems, police cooperation, exchange of information and mutual legal assistance. Panel Chair: Stephen Rozée (University of Dundee) s.rozee@dundee.ac.uk Panel Co-chair: Anna Sergi (University of Essex) asergi@essex.ac.uk 6. Emerging Forms and Manifestations of Organised Crime The objective of this panel is to study cybercrime, identity-related crimes, trafficking in cultural property, environmental crime, piracy, organ trafficking, and fraudulent medicine as new and emerging crimes of concern. Panel Chair: Felia Allum (University of Bath) felia.allum@gmail.com Panel Co-chair: Anita Lavorgna (University of Trento) anita.lavorgna@unitn.it 7. Contemporary Border Security Challenges This panel welcomes papers on mechanisms of regulation of immigration (both legal and illegal), control over the movement of goods and services, collection of excise tax, prevention of smuggling of drugs, weapons, endangered species and other illegal or hazardous goods and materials. Panel Chair: Sarah Léonard (University of Dundee) s.l.leonard@dundee.ac.uk Panel Co-chair: Oleg Korneev (University of Sheffield) o.korneev@sheffield.ac.uk 8. Non-State Responses to Terrorism, Organised Crime and Corruption This panel focuses on the role public-private partnerships (the business community) and non-governmental organisations (mass media, NGOs) have in countering terrorism, organised crime and corruption. Panel Chair: Daniela Irrera (University of Catania) dirrera@unict.it Panel Co-chair: Oldrich Bures (Metropolitan University Prague) o.bures@mup.cz BIOGRAPHY OF SECTION CHAIRS Dr. Yuliya Zabyelina is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh she joined in 2013 as part of the Newton International Fellowships scheme. Before moving to Scotland, she received a PhD degree in International Studies from the University of Trento in Italy. Her expertise is in the area of international security, international politics and criminology with research interests in transnational organised crime, black markets and corruption. As of 2013, she has served as an Assistant Editor of The European Review of Organised Crime (EROC)—an editorial project born under the aegis of SGOC. Dr. Helena Carrapico joined the University of Dundee in January 2013 as a Newton International Fellow. She holds a doctoral degree in Social and Political Sciences from the European University Institute (Florence), where she developed her thesis on EU organised crime policies. Her current research focuses on the UK’s opt-in and opt-out strategies in the area of Justice and Home Affairs. Other areas of research include the external dimension of Justice and Home Affairs and European Union organised crime policies. She is the author of a number of peer-reviewed articles and chapters, and the editor of a number of special issues.