Research in Politics & International Relations

Illicit Drug Economies, Governance and the Security-Development Nexus in the Global South

Lead Researcher: Dr Allan Gillies

Conventional policy discourses have typically framed illicit economies in the Global South as a security problem. Illicit economies frequently drive violence, corruption, exploitation and failures in governance, for example. However, for many communities living in poverty and conflict-affected areas across the globe, involvement in illicit economic activity can also offer vital sources of livelihood. Illicit economies may underpin stable political orders and socio-economic development at the margins of the state. Militarised policy responses may cause more harm than good in such contexts. Illicit Drug Economies, Governance and the Security-Development Nexus in the Global South sought to instead advance development-led perspectives of illicit economies, drawing on Allan's research on Bolivia. The project led to a collaboration with Christian Aid and the Global Partnership on Drug Policy and Development (GPDPD) at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ)). This collaboration included the international conference, Addressing the Development Implications of Illicit Economies – SOAS, London, April 2018, and a special issue of the new LSE Journal of Illicit Economies and Development. These knowledge exchange activities provide a solid base for forging new policy and research agendas that place the Sustainable Development Goals at the centre of responses to illicit economies in the Global South.