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Joe Biden
OpinionComment
David Luna
David Luna

Opinion | Biden’s foreign policy shift should address cross-border corruption and illicit trade

  • Corruption and illicit trade are threat multipliers that ripple across borders and imperil democratic freedoms and institutions
  • By advancing a national security strategy to tackle these two problems, Biden can work with allies and through public-private partnerships internationally

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US President Joe Biden speaks about foreign policy at the State Department in Washington on February 4. Photo: AFP
David Luna
US President Joe Biden has renewed the country’s commitment to a stronger foreign policy, anchored in smart diplomacy, revitalised alliances and public-private partnerships to confront today’s global security challenges. But did he go far enough in addressing the twin evils of kleptocracy and illicit trade, which undermine our faith in our democratic institutions?
As governments and communities deal with the effects of Covid-19, American leadership is needed more than ever to restore our trust in the rule of law, and also address our economic recovery, climate change and an array of other transnational security threats.
The US also needs to oversee a more robust agenda to tackle the impacts of cross-border corruption and crime convergence across our economies, e-commerce marketplaces and financial centres.

Corruption corrodes the underpinnings of good governance, clean markets and supply chain security. It impedes progress on human rights and implementation of national sustainability strategies. The reality is that both corruption and illicit trade are threat multipliers that ripple across borders and imperil democratic freedoms, and systems of open, free and just societies.

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As Biden enters White House, world leaders express ‘relief’ and welcome ‘friend’ and ‘mate’ back

As Biden enters White House, world leaders express ‘relief’ and welcome ‘friend’ and ‘mate’ back

Illicit trade further hampers economic development by preventing the equitable distribution of resources that provide for sustainable growth. It enables kleptocrats to pillage their countries, criminal organisations to co-opt states and export violence, and terrorist groups to finance their attacks against our communities.

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