On May 7th, RUSI introduced a new policy brief aimed at examining the ways professional service providers may facilitate sanctions evasion, based on the investigative efforts of journalists.
Over the past years, OCCRP and its investigative partners have delved into the roles played by professional facilitators hired by individuals and entities from Russia and Belarus to evade sanctions. To distill policy insights from this investigative work, OCCRP collaborated with RUSI’s Centre for Finance and Security (CFS) to conduct analysis presented in the policy brief.
Addressing Sanctions Circumvention
With ongoing tensions related to Russia’s actions in Ukraine and a narrowing scope of sanctions targets, efforts to curb evasion activities have become increasingly crucial for Ukraine’s allies. The joint efforts of OCCRP’s reporting and CFS’s analysis highlight persistent gaps in policy and practice, allowing professional facilitators to aid clients in shielding assets and interests from sanctions. The policy brief outlines recommendations for policymakers to address these issues, aiming to strengthen sanctions enforcement beyond the context of Russia.
The release of this policy brief signifies a deepening collaboration between CFS and OCCRP, rooted in their shared dedication to uncovering sanctions evasion, combating illicit finance, and leveraging investigative journalism for impactful change.
Alexandra Gillies, Director of the Global Anti-Corruption Consortium at OCCRP, commented:
“Investigative journalists have uncovered crucial information about how various entities are working to circumvent Russia sanctions. Meanwhile, experts at RUSI are tracking the wider policy and enforcement trends. Bringing these two strengths together is a powerful combination. This report will make sure that the overall lessons from the investigative reporting reach policymakers and other key stakeholders.”
Justyna Gudzowska, RUSI Associate Fellow and Firefly Advisory Executive Director, added:
“As new sanctions against Russia yield diminishing returns, it’s time to make these measures more effective by closing loopholes that allow professional facilitators to aid sanctions evasion and operate with relative impunity. Common-sense adjustments to sanctions and regulatory regimes will reap benefits in the Russia context and further sharpen these tools of economic statecraft. Today’s policy brief not only demonstrates that bringing together ground-breaking investigative work with policy analysis can equip policymakers and practitioners with new ideas to tackle sanctions evasion, but also reflects the enhanced relationship between RUSI’s CFS and OCCRP.”
Scott Greytak, Director of Advocacy at Transparency International US, remarked:
“Russian sanctions evaders, terror networks, kleptocrats, human rights abusers, and transnational criminal organizations across the world all have one thing in common: They rely on professional ‘enablers’ to move, hide, and grow their ill-gotten gains with impunity. This policy brief demonstrates that despite recent efforts, legislative and regulatory loopholes continue to exist. To tackle some of these gaps, Republicans and Democrats have united behind a forthcoming bill that will help ensure that the United States can no longer serve as a safe haven for those who steal from their citizens and threaten our national security.”
About the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)
OCCRP operates with staff across six continents and centers in Amsterdam, Washington, D.C., and Sarajevo, making it one of the largest investigative journalism organizations globally. It functions as a non-profit newsroom partnering with other media outlets to publish stories that prompt action, and it also serves as a media development platform advancing investigative reporting worldwide.
The Global Anti-Corruption Consortium (GACC), a collaboration between OCCRP and Transparency International, accelerates the fight against corruption by combining investigative journalism with civil society efforts.
For further details on OCCRP’s work, visit here.
About RUSI’s Centre for Finance and Security (CFS)
RUSI, the world’s oldest and the UK’s leading defense and security think tank, hosts CFS, focusing on the intersection of finance and global security. Through analysis and actionable ideas, CFS aims to challenge existing norms and bolster resilience in the global response to illicit finance. Since its establishment in 2014, CFS has pursued change through partnership-based approaches and the development of practical solutions. Its research aims to shed light on the scale and complexities of international illicit finance, offering evidence-based policy responses across public and private sectors. CFS experts regularly advise governments and international bodies, aiming to raise awareness about the critical role of finance in global security matters.
Find the latest supply chain report news at The Supply Chain Report. For international trade tools, see ADAMftd.com.
#SanctionsEvasion #RUSI #OCCRP #Collaboration #GlobalSecurity#SupplyChainNews
