Assessing Free Trade Zone Integrity

by invitation

Brief

Illegal trade takes diverse forms, which are frequently interlinked. In many cases, crossovers exist in the trafficking of drugs, humans and weapons, corruption and money laundering. Commonly, such crossovers arise from the exploitation of tested routes and infrastructure; this applies not least to free trade zones (FTZs), as incubators of many such intersections.

The criminal risks associated with FTZs have been studied extensively, leading to repeated calls for more consistent enforcement of applicable regulations, especially Annex D to the Revised Kyoto Convention. Yet, policymakers and private sector actors struggle to assess the risk level of individual FTZs and the effectiveness of mitigation measures.

This Project seeks to address the discrepancy between a high awareness that FTZs pose risks at the macro-level, and a limited ability to evaluate and understand those risks – and the convergence between them – at the micro-level. The first of its kind, the project will provide a mechanism to enable authorities and business partners to assess overall risk levels in individual FTZs, moving beyond narrow concerns of specific crime types within them.

Format

The workshop will take place in the format of a moderated roundtable discussion. All participants are invited to take active part in the discussion and share their views on the issues identified in the Agenda (see below). This will enable participants to learn from each other and develop common, cross-sectoral approaches to safeguarding the integrity of Moroccan free-trade zones.

For more information, please contact Mohamed Abrouq at : m.abrouq@policycenter.ma