National Governance Framework

Global Trade Integrity Symposium

Hosted by TRACIT

November 18, 2026
Venue: World Trade Organization
Geneva, Switzerland

The Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT) will host the Global Trade Integrity Symposium, bringing together trade officials to share best practices and strengthen national responses to illicit trade.

The symposium will examine how illicit trade undermines government revenues, legitimate economic activity, investment, innovation, formal employment and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Discussions will inform TRACIT’s National Governance Framework for Combating Illicit Trade, designed to help governments strengthen the legislation, institutional structures and governance mechanisms needed to mitigate illicit trade at the national level.

Keynote speakers:

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization

Masahiko Metoki, Director General of the Universal Postal Union
Shelley Duggan, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Procter & Gamble
Nicolas Palau van Hissenhoven, Deputy Permanent Representative, Mission of Colombia to the WTO
H.E. Ms. Eunice M.T. Luambia, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva (Invited)
Marion Jansen, Director of the Trade and Agriculture Directorate, OECD
Jeff Hardy, Director-General, TRACIT

Featured Report

National Governance Framework to Combat Illicit Trade
The report organizes its recommendations around five areas: the economic and tax environment; regulation and enforcement; organized crime and related criminal activity; customs controls; and supply chain vulnerabilities. Each section explains how governance gaps enable illicit trade and sets out practical measures to address them. Governments can use the report to assess national systems, identify priorities, guide reforms and strengthen coordination across public agencies and with the private sector.

Access TRACIT's National Governance Framework for Combating Illicit Trade full report here soon

TRACIT's National Governance Framework

TRACIT’s National Governance Framework for Combating Illicit Trade provides governments with a practical roadmap for strengthening national resilience to illicit trade. Designed for policymakers and officials across finance, trade, customs, regulation, law enforcement and criminal justice, it supports a coordinated, whole-of-government response.
The framework covers taxation and the economic environment; regulation and enforcement; interagency and international cooperation; organized crime, corruption, money laundering and human rights abuses; and vulnerabilities in customs and supply chains, including free trade zones, parcel delivery systems and e-commerce platforms.

The framework promotes a whole-of-government approach that combines sound taxation and economic policies, proportionate regulatory frameworks, effective enforcement, strong customs and border controls, action against organized crime and corruption, international cooperation and close cooperation with the private sector.

1. Best practices to strengthen the taxation and economic environment
Taxation policies and economic conditions significantly influence a country’s resilience to illicit trade. The recommendations call for tax regimes aligned with domestic economic and social realities that avoid excessive price gaps between legal and illicit products. They also support regional alignment of taxes and duties, better monitoring of high-tax products, economic formalization, and careful assessment of how inflation, taxation and regulatory costs affect the affordability of legitimate goods.
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2. Best practices to strengthen regulatory frameworks and enforcement
Effective regulation underpins market oversight, product traceability, licensing, customs controls and enforcement. The recommendations call for transparent, proportionate and enforceable regulations, stronger laws, adequately resourced authorities, regular training, better technology and effective criminal justice processes. They also support IPR laws and enforcement aligned with the WTO TRIPS Agreement, including timely remedies, deterrent penalties and stronger border measures against counterfeit goods. Cooperation with WIPO can support legal reform, training and the exchange of practical experience.
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3. Best practices to mitigate the influence of organized crime on illicit trade
Organized criminal networks increasingly produce, move and sell illicit goods, including counterfeits, using the same routes, intermediaries and financial channels across different crimes. The recommendations call for stronger laws, closer interagency cooperation and greater use of financial investigations to trace illicit financial flows, identify beneficial ownership and recover criminal assets. They also address corruption in customs and other enforcement agencies through stronger integrity systems and oversight. The framework further recognizes the links between illicit trade, forced labor and the exploitation of vulnerable workers.
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4. Best practices to counter illicit trade in international trade, customs and borders
Customs administrations are the first line of defense against illicit goods in international trade. The recommendations call for action across imports, exports, transit, transshipment, free trade zones and other areas under customs supervision. They also support stronger IPR recordation systems, enabling rights holders to help identify counterfeit goods, and greater use of intelligence-based and AI-enabled screening informed by shipment data and product-specific risks.
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5. Best practices to address vulnerabilities in the supply chain
E-commerce, parcel networks and free trade zones are increasingly exploited to produce, store, move and sell illicit goods, including counterfeits. The recommendations call for stronger customs oversight, operator due diligence, digital records and cooperation with rights holders. They support accurate advance electronic data, risk-based screening and action against repeat offenders. For e-commerce platforms, measures include seller verification, pre-listing checks, proactive monitoring, notice-and-stay-down systems and clearer legal responsibility for illicit goods sold through their services.
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Featured Events

TRACIT hosts Curated Conversation at WTO Public Forum on illicit trade as a trade policy challenge

16 September 2026, Geneva - TRACIT hosted a Curated Conversation at the WTO Public Forum, "Illicit Trade as a Trade Policy Challenge: Practical Responses for Resilient Economies," supported by the Geneva Trade Platform. Director-General Jeff Hardy underscored that illicit trade impacts every one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, undermining governments' efforts to mobilize revenues, protect consumers, and deliver sustainable development. The session brought together speakers from Frontier Economics, Lacoste, AB InBev, and CropLife to examine the economic, social, and enforcement dimensions of illicit trade, and explored how existing WTO rules and mechanisms can help Members strengthen cooperation to address it more effectively.

Media Center

Supporting materials

TRACIT Media Release
National Governance Framework report