Modern Organized Crime: An Anonymous Stakeholder in the Public Sphere

Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 16.15–17.30, Goethe-Institut

In cooperation with Open Society Fund Prague

 

Moderator:

Uzi Arad, Former National Security Advisor, Israel

 

Panel Discussion:

Atifete Jahjaga, President, Kosovo

Yakov Gilinsky, Professor of Criminology, Herzen State Pedagogical University, Russia

José María Argueta, Former National Security Advisor, Guatemala

Yakov Kostyukovsky, Sociologist, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia

 

 

Uzi Arad opened the panel by stating that the world is now globalized and as a result crime is transnational; technological advances means organized crime has benefited. President Afitete Jahjaga referred to organised crime using the analogy a “virus that destroys a healthy body”. She shares the view that modern organized crime is the same as classic; there has been no shift except the ability to exploit the technology of the 21^st century. For this reason she emphasized the need for co-operation between regional and international bodies “we need a clear and decisive political will”.

 

Yakov Gilinsky stated organised crime is “a comprehensive, social phenomenon”. He described four stages of development of organized crime in Russia including the latest stage which is characterized by criminal forces entering the legal system, administration and police.

 

José María Argueta built on the definition of organized crime as being “nothing more and nothing less than economic crime plus violence” He noted human greed as the root cause. We have to start at the local level to begin to deal with it; the economic elite are the only people who know the loopholes and can undo what they have done. If they stop hiding profits the system will collapse and modern organized crime will find it hard to survive.

 

Yakov Kostyukovsky pointed out that organised crime becomes a power that defines the moral values of society and also built on the need for co-operation “fruitful co-operation will lead to fruitful control of organized crime.”