Luna Global Networks Applauds OECD for Elevating the Fight Against Illicit Trade and Strengthening Public-Private Partnerships to Counter Illicit Markets

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Mar 19, 2018, 02:21 ET

PARIS, March 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 15-16, 2018, David M. Luna, president and CEO, Luna Global Networks & Convergence Strategies LLC, participated in the 6th Meeting of the OECD Task Force on Countering Illicit Trade at OECD Headquarters in Paris.

At the meeting, Luna Global Networks applauded the OECD and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) on presenting their latest report, Trade in Counterfeit Goods and Free Trade Zones. The findings of the report included analysis that demonstrated that exports of counterfeit and pirated goods from a country or economy rise in parallel with the number and size of free trade zones it hosts. At the meeting and in launching the joint report, OECD Public Governance Director Marcos Bonturi stated that "this is clear evidence that free trade zones are being used by criminals to traffic fake goods."

There are more than 3,500 free trade zones, often located at key ports, in 130 countries or economies in North and South America, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and Africa, up from just 79 spread across 25 countries or economies in 1975.

Luna Global Networks praised the leadership of the OECD Task Force on Countering Illicit Trade for another report released a few weeks ago in Washington, D.C., Governance Frameworks to Counter Illicit Trade, which informed of the poor oversight of free trade zones, insufficient screening of small parcels and inconsistent penalties on shippers of fake goods as three key areas in which lax policy is facilitating trafficking of fake goods.

Another report presented at the meeting by The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GITOC), Transnational Organized Crime and the Impact of the Private Sector, outlined the scale and nature of organized crime's infiltration of the private sector. GITOC findings are a "call to arms" for the international private and public sectors to transform their co-operation and teamwork. A conservative estimate by GITOC puts the value of organized crime at an estimated $3.6 to $4.8 trillion, in 2015/2016, seven percent of global GDP.

Luna Global Networks urged the OECD Task Force on Countering Illicit Trade to continue to strengthen cooperation with the private sector and underscored the importance of businesses and civil society groups working with governments and international organizations to disrupt illicit markets around the world.

"Effective public-private partnerships succeed when there is leadership and a real commitment in collectively tackling illicit threats and governance risks," said Mr. Luna. "Sharing information across sectors, industries and broader communities; encouraging more robust enforcement responses; and collaborating on meaningful solutions can have real impact on common challenges."

It is a reality that the private sector across economies globally have critical market intelligence on today's complex and converging market risks and threats. Better cooperation and coordination across sectors becomes vital to effectively counter illicit trade and the global illegal economy, and to prosecute webs of corruption and criminality.

In addition to examining the use of virtual currencies by criminal enablers of illicit trade and illicit financial flows including through the dark web, Luna Global Networks further encouraged the OECD to continue research on ways that blockchain technologies can be harnessed as an important tool to combat illicit trade (e.g., counterfeits and product diversion) and in promoting smart supply chain solutions.

Luna Global Networks & Convergence Strategies LLC is an international consultancy net-centric firm providing strategic advisory services on brand protection to address some of today's global security and business challenges related to cross-sectoral illicit trade and associated cross-border market security risks. David M. Luna is a member of the OECD Task Force on Countering Illicit Trade and chaired the international body from 2013-2017. He is also the former Senior Director for National Security & Diplomacy, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

Learn more about Luna Global Networks: https://lunaglobalnetworks.com/.

For more information, please contact David Luna at [email protected].

Related Links

Luna Global Networks

OECD Task Force on Countering Illicit Trade

SOURCE Luna Global Networks