Zermatt Summit 2019: Anti-Illicit Trade Declaration signed

The Zermatt Summit has been held annually in Switzerland since 2010. The conference is primarily intended for business/financial leaders and entrepreneurs in an action-oriented dialogue with decision-makers from civil society, science, education, the fine arts, architecture, medicine, spirituality and the public sector. According to the organizers, the annual Zermatt Summit conference program is a catalyst to inspire, share innovations and put new business development models into action, prioritizing human dignity in our globalized world.

Anti-Illicit Trade Declaration signed

The OISTE Foundation, the Zermatt Summit Foundation, Sucafina, Integral Petroleum, Philip Morris International, and delegates from 46 different countries have now signed the Anti-Illicit Trade Declaration launched at the 2018 Zermatt Summit, calling on the international community to address all forms of illicit trade. This is because, despite significant efforts by global organizations, governments and private sector activists, illicit trade remains widespread and poses a significant threat to the global economy.

Illegal trade as a cause of wealth inequality

The Declaration on Combating Illicit Trafficking outlines the steps that must be taken to stop illicit trafficking. Governments and private sector signatories agree that it must be treated as a serious crime.

Today, with the digitalization of economies and recent technological developments, the fundamentals of trade are changing in both legal and illegal economies. Improved global networks, real-time data exchange systems, and online platforms are enabling a more efficient supply of illicit products and increasing the number of parties involved in this market. This poses significant challenges to legitimate manufacturers, governments, and other operators in the affected industries.

As a result, illicit trade has created significant wealth disparities between developing and developed countries, fueled devastating conflicts, and undermined the legitimacy of countries. In fact, illicit trade is the conduit that enables destabilization and dangerous activities in virtually every sector of the global economy. As a result, new forms of illicit trade have emerged, making the fight against illicit trade more complex and transnational than ever before.

More and more goods affected

Illegal trade impedes the fundamental building blocks for development, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. It enables corrupt practices among government officials and private citizens. Each year, more and more goods and brands in all sectors are also affected by illicit trade. There is therefore an urgent need to develop a Declaration on Combating Illicit Trade to raise awareness of the problem and respond to these challenges.

The OISTE Foundation and the Zermatt Summit, with a high-level international group of experts, therefore launched the Anti-Illicit Trade Declaration at the Zermatt Summit in September 2018. The declaration was presented to the international community as part of a global roadshow calling on the international community to address all forms of illicit trade, promote due diligence and supply chain control, and encourage collaboration between state and non-state actors to develop sustainable solutions.

The main principles of the Anti-Illicit Trade Declaration

• treat illicit trafficking as a serious crime under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNCAT), the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS),
• Combating the problems of corruption and money laundering in connection with illegal trade in legislation
• a zero tolerance policy;
• Strengthen the legal framework and support law enforcement;
• Improve interagency mechanisms to combat illicit trade crime;
• Support governments that destroy illegal trade products;
• Pressure governments and other entities that use or facilitate the use of products derived from illicit trade;
• Put criminal entrepreneurs out of business;
• Reduce incentives to enter illegal markets;
• Reduce the ability of organized crime to penetrate the financial system;
• Help governments maintain legitimate markets and promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Illicit trade negatively impacts economic stability, social well-being, public health, public safety, and our environment. There are numerous documented examples of this.

More information: http://www.oiste.org and http://www.zermattsummit.org