Global Report on Human Settlements 2007 - PoA-ISS

Urban crime and violence: Conditions and trends
61
refers to the ‘levels of different types of organized crime
activities, such as extortion and drugs, arms and people
trafficking, as perceived by potential victim groups and
experts’. 80 That marker and four others – the extent of the
shadow economy; the percentage of unsolved homicides; the
high level of corruption among public officials; and the
extent of money laundering – are used in Table 3.3 to rank
regions of the world on the basis of their levels of organized
crime activities. Table 3.3 shows that Oceania/Australia has
the lowest composite rank (least), while the Caribbean has
the highest (most) in terms of organized crime activity.
Although there is general consistency between
regional scores and the rank order, a cautionary note is
necessary with regard to these numbers, given that data is
missing for some countries. Nevertheless, the data is suggestive
of regional differences that tend to be consistent with
country data. Figure 3.16 illustrates the manifestations of
organized crime in various nations of the world using the
OCPI.
The index shows low levels of organized crime in
Canada and Australia. The same is true for Northern Europe,
with levels increasing as one moves south and east into Italy,
Spain and especially into Eastern European nations such as
Russia and Ukraine. South Asia, particularly Pakistan and
Bangladesh, stand out with comparatively high levels of
organized crime, while India and China are seen as having
higher activity than some southern European countries, such
as Italy. The African nations of Nigeria, Angola and
Mozambique have the highest composite scores. In Latin
America and the Caribbean, the countries of Haiti,
Guatemala, Paraguay, Venezuela, Colombia and Jamaica
stand out with the highest composite index scores. 81
Conditions supporting the growth of organized crime,
such as globalization of markets and increasingly sophisticated
communications technology, are not likely to diminish
in the near future. Facilitated by developments in these
areas, organized crime has flourished in urban drug trafficking
and trafficking in arms and in people. The following
sub-sections describe global, regional and national conditions
and trends related to these facets of organized crime.
■ Illicit drug trafficking and use
Drug trafficking, simply defined as buying and selling illegal
drugs, is a huge worldwide industry that is often the
province of organized crime. Moreover, drug trafficking and
drug use are fundamental risk factors underlying crime and
violence at global, national and local levels. Drug addiction,
particularly in urban areas, fuels crime and violence,
increases policing and healthcare costs, disintegrates
families and generally diminishes the quality of life. While
long-term overall trends point to some successes in combating
the availability of drugs, such as the reduction of coca
cultivation in the Andean region and the decline of opium
production in Asia’s Golden Triangle, these gains may be
offset by setbacks elsewhere, such as the increasing demand
for cocaine in parts of Europe, amphetamines in Asia and the
US and new transit routes for illicit drugs that have opened
in West Africa. The extent of global illicit drug use is
depicted in Figure 3.17. This is estimated to be 5 per cent of
Asia Political parties Parliament/legislature Police Tax revenue
(12 countries) 4.2 3.9 3.9 3.5
the worlds’ population aged 15 to 64, or 200 million people.
Trafficking is one of the major components of the
illicit drug problem. The other components are cultivation,
production, retailing and consumption. Of these components,
the least is known about trafficking, although
information can be obtained indirectly through studies of
criminal group activities and through estimates of drug
supplies, areas under cultivation and drug seizures. Seizure
and trafficking routes for drugs vary by region, by nation and
by the type of drug in question. 82
There are three major destinations for cannabis resin:
West and Central Europe (transiting Spain and The
Netherlands); the Near and Middle East/Southwest Asia
region (with supplies originating in Afghanistan and
Pakistan); and North Africa. Much of the cannabis resin
supplied to West and Central Europe and to North Africa is
produced in Morocco. In 2004, more cannabis resin was
seized in Spain in 2004 than in any other nation.
The world’s main cocaine trafficking routes continue
to run from the Andean region, notably Colombia, to the US,
with Europe as the second most important destination for
cocaine produced in the Andean region. The trafficking and
use of cocaine in Asia and Oceania is low compared to the
rest of the world, while the use in West and Central Africa
increased in 2004 on account of the region being a transshipment
point to European markets.
Trafficking illicit drugs is a major profit generator for
organized crime groups, who often plough their profits into
the purchase and subsequent marketing of illegal weapons
and engage in trafficking people. The connections between
drugs, arms and human trafficking are complex and not
Percentage of respondents
Africa (8 countries) Police Political parties Customs Parliament/legislature
4.4 4.2 4.0 3.8
Western Europe Political parties Parliament/legislature Business/private sector Media
(16 countries) 3.7 3.3 3.3 3.3
Central and Eastern Political parties Police Parliament/legislature Legal system/judiciary
Europe (14 countries) 4.0 4.0 3.9 3.9
Latin America and Political parties Parliament/legislature Police Legal system/judiciary
the Caribbean 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.3
(15 countries)
80
60
40
20
0
Table 3.2
The most corrupt
sectors by region
Note: 1 = not at all corrupt;
5 = extremely corrupt.
Source: Transparency
International, 2005a, p5
Drug addiction,
particularly in urban
areas, fuels crime
and violence …
disintegrates
families and generally
diminishes the
quality of life
Figure 3.15
Bribes for public
services
Note: Percentage of respondents
who paid a bribe for
public services they were
entitled to.
Source: Transparency
International, 2005a, p15
Bolivia
Cameroon
Dominican Republic
Ethiopia
Ghana
Guatemala
India
Kenya
Lithuania
Mexico
Moldova
Nigeria
Pakistan
Paraguay
Peru
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Togo
Ukraine