Workshop Illicit Trade practices across various sectors drivers dynamics and root causes

COST ACTION ‘GLOBALIZATION, ILLICIT TRADE, SUSTAINABILITY AND SECURITY’

Call for expression of interest

1-2 April 2025, Wroclaw, Poland

WORKSHOP ‘ILLICIT TRADE PRACTICES ACROSS VARIOUS SECTORS:

DRIVERS, DYNAMICS, AND ROOT CAUSES’

Working Group 1 of GLITSS, in collaboration with Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, is organizing a workshop to explore the factors driving illicit trade across sectors, focusing on broader dynamics and underlying causes rather than single-sector analyses. The aim is to foster interdisciplinary dialogue, connect theoretical and empirical perspectives, and co-author a joint research paper.

GLITSS members are invited to express their interest to attend the workshop by highlighting the topics, issues, or features they consider essential for understanding the phenomenon of illicit trade across multiple sectors. Potential questions to address include, but are not limited to:

• What are the root causes of illicit trade?
• Why do people engage in illicit activities?
• What is the role of cultural context in illicit trade?
• Why is it so difficult to combat illicit trade?
• What role does legal trade play in illicit trade
• What role does technology play in the economic and sociocultural factors driving illicit trade?
• What is the role of banking practices and cryptocurrencies in driving the illicit trade?

To participate, please submit:

• An abstract (100 words) by 15 January 2025 via Google form. The selected participants will be informed by 31 January 2025 via email.
• A longer thesis (500–1000 words), to be submitted only if your abstract is accepted. This extended submission will allow selected participants to further develop their ideas in preparation for the workshop. The thesis is due by 28 February 2025.

We welcome contributions from various disciplines—including criminology, economics, sociology, law, public policy, computer sciences, biology, international relations, and anthropology—that address illicit trade in a cross-sectoral context.

This workshop provides a unique opportunity to engage with researchers from different fields, deepen insights into the root causes of illicit trade, and contribute to an interdisciplinary analysis aimed at generating significant academic and practical impact.

For any further inquiries, please contact WG1 deputy leader Mariia Balytska (m.balytskaknu@gmail.com), WG1 member and representative of the hosting organization Piotr Luty (piotr.luty@ue.wroc.pl) or WG1 leader Indrek Saar (indreksr@gmail.com).