Good governance is fragile – Evarist Bartolo
“Transnational crime has moved beyond a few mafias operating in a few problem cities and threatens peace, justice and development the world over. This criminal transformation has been driven by the geopolitical, economic and technological shifts brought about by globalisation. They take advantage of the opening of new markets, supply chains and technologies and exploit weak regulation in financial markets and cyberspace.” This is one of the conclusions of a report on ‘The Global Illicit Economy’ compiled in March 2021 by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime. The report also stresses that the fight against transnational organised crime has to be ‘glocal’: both global and local. It should be seamless and comprehensive: democracy, good governance, an independent judiciary, checks and balances, rule of law, freedom of information, investigative media, protection of whistleblowers, governments held to account, media freedom and an active and dynamic civil society… are all essential. In April 2021, Malta’s foreign ministry organised ‘The Malta Workshops’ to explore and discuss together the particularities of small international financial centres and the...