• E4J University Module Series: Organized Crime / Counter-Terrorism

• Module 16: Linkages between Organized Crime and Terrorism

• Introduction and learning outcomes

• Key issues

  • Definitions and terminology
  • Organized crime and terrorism: International legal framework
  • • Terrorism international framework: International terrorism-related conventions
    • Terrorism international framework: General UNSC resolutions on terrorism
    • Organized crime international framework: The Organized Crime Convention and its Protocols
  • Theoretical frameworks on the linkages between organized crime and terrorism
  • Typologies of criminal behaviour associated with terrorism
  • • Terrorism and drug trafficking
    • Terrorism and trafficking in weapons
    • Links between terrorism, crime and trafficking in cultural property / antiquities
    • Trafficking in persons and terrorism
    • Intellectual property crime and terrorism
    • Kidnapping for ransom and terrorism
    • Exploitation of natural resources and terrorism
  • Summary
  • References

• Case studies

• Possible class structure

• Core reading

• Advanced reading

• Student assessment

• • Research and independent study questions
  • Review and assessment questions
  • Quiz 16

• Additional teaching tools

Published March 2019

Regional Perspective: Eastern and Southern Africa - added in April 2020

 

 

  This module is a resource for lecturers  

 

Introduction

 

In recent years, the international community has increasingly focused on the existence of linkages between organized crime and terrorism and, reflecting this trend, the United Nations Security Council has adopted various resolutions on this issue (e.g. resolutions 1373 (2001), 2195 (2014), 2462 (2019)and 2482 (2019); also see the Presidential Statement S/PRST/2018/9 of 8 May 2018).In doing so, the United Nations acknowledges that any intersection of terrorism and organized crime would represent a significant threat to international security.

While this area is the subject of a growing body of literature from governmental and non-governmental organizations, and is attracting increased academic interest, there is very little agreement on the existence, nature and extent of any linkages between organized crime and terrorism. Nor is there yet any authoritative consensus on which empirically based methodologies should be adopted for the collection, analysis and evaluation of data to identify the nature and extent of any linkages in different regions. These debates and gaps in available information and knowledge are noted in a number of international fora, including discussions held at the United Nations (e.g. see Security Council Statement 13325 of 8 May 2018, in which the Council "encourages Member States and international, regional and subregional organizations and fora to enhance knowledge of and support initiatives to address […] the linkages between terrorism and transnational organized crime […]"). 

This Module aims to provide lecturers with an overview on the linkages between organized crime and terrorism, as well as available tools to complement further research on this issue at the tertiary level. It is intended, therefore, as a technical assistance tool to help build the knowledge base on this thematic area of growing concern to the international community.

Topics covered

• Organized crime
• Terrorism
• Linkages between organized crime and terrorism
• Theoretical frameworks on the linkages
• Criminal activities of organized criminal groups and terrorist organizations

 

Learning outcomes

• Understand different approaches to defining terrorism, organized crime and transnational organized crime and the linkages between them.
• Improve knowledge of international legal frameworks relating to organized crime and terrorism.
• Understand existing key theoretical frameworks that have been used to explain the linkages between organized crime and terrorism.
• Understand and identify ways in which the linkages between organized crime and terrorism can be located in different typologies of criminal activity.
• Have an improved knowledge of different regional variations of interactions between organized crime and terrorism.

 

Next: Key issues

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