WISeKey, Zermatt Summit and OISTE.ORG to hold a Virtual Meeting on the Impact of Illicit Trade on the Sustainable Economy; The Anti-Illicit Trade Declaration and Tech Transparency - Seite 2

Delegates from 46 different countries, signed the Anti-Illicit Trade Declaration launched at the 2018 Zermatt Summit, calling on the International Community to address all forms of Illicit Trade.

Despite considerable efforts from global organizations, governments and activists from the private sector, Illicit Trade remains prevalent and continues to pose a significant threat to the global economy.

The Anti-Illicit Trade Declaration outlines the steps that need to be taken to stop Illicit Trade, which as governments and private sector signatories agree, needs to be treated as a serious crime.

Today, with the digitalization of economies and recent technology developments, the fundamentals of trade are transforming in both legal and illegal economies. Improved global networks, real time data sharing systems and online platforms enable a more efficient supply of illicit products and increase the number of parties participating in this market, creating significant challenges for legitimate manufacturers, governments and other operators within affected industries.

Therefore, illicit trade has become a major contributor to discrepancies in wealth between the developing and developed world, while fueling devastating conflicts and undermining the legitimacy of countries. In effect, Illicit Trade is the conduit that facilitates destabilization and dangerous activities in nearly every sphere of the global economy. As a result - new forms of Illicit Trade have appeared and will continue to develop making the fight against it more complex and transnational than ever.

 -    Illicit Trade hinders the fundamental building blocks of development, democracy, human rights and rule of law. It enables corrupt practices among government officials and private citizens alike.

-     Each year, an increasing number of goods and brands are affected by Illicit Trade across all industries. There is an urgency to develop an Anti-Illicit Trade Declaration to enhance awareness of the issue and respond to these challenges.

The OISTE Foundation and the Zermatt Summit with a high-profile panel of international experts therefore launched at the September 2018 Zermatt Summit the Anti-Illicit Trade Declaration. The declaration was presented to the international community via a global roadshow calling on the international community to address all forms of Illicit Trade, promote due diligence and supply chain controls, and foster cooperation between state and non-state actors in developing sustainable solutions.