International cooperation against crime
The EU-funded project IPLEC (The international politics of law-enforcement cooperation) took a close look at international efforts in matters of justice and law enforcement. It sought to identify the ways in which domestic institutions and norms influence these efforts and how they shape countries' willingness to cooperate. Project work was divided into five different parts examining these questions in depth. The first study examined the global attempts against the organ trade, spearheaded by the international medical community. This study is significant because it is the first to empirically examine the political dynamic of the organ trade, and it offers valuable knowledge for policymakers. An article was produced comparing organ trafficking to sex trafficking and labour trafficking – three practices often lumped together as "human trafficking." The article identifies important differences between these practices and provides important insights for the design of anti-trafficking policies as well as for scholarly analysis. The project fellow examined the deployment of international police liaisons, and, more specifically, the presence of the FBI abroad, which represents an important means of cooperation against crime and terrorism. A systematic link was established for the first time between human rights and counterterrorism cooperation, with implications for the establishment of counterterrorism cooperation with repressive governments. Subsequently, the project fellow studied the political economy of international child adoption. This study provides a systematic analysis of the factors shaping international adoption flows and contributes towards our understanding of how political factors shape international migration. The following study analysed how states resolve transnational jurisdictional conflicts through the principle of deference, which is the acceptance of the exercise of legal authority by another state. Empirically focused on the Hague Convention on international child abduction, this study carries implications for the analysis of the legal frictions of globalisation. Finally, the last study focused on international legal harmonisation and the efforts to increase international trade by unifying private-law rules governing transnational commercial matters. In sum, these studies help advance the analysis of the politics of law enforcement within the realm of international relations. They offer insights for scholars and policymakers. Research outcomes have been published in leading journals in the field of international relations, as well as criminology and medicine.
Keywords
International cooperation, crime, IPLEC, law enforcement, trafficking
