Featured Event - Geneva - November 18, 2026

---

TRACIT hosts the Global Trade Symposium in Geneva

18 November 2026, Geneva – 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
• ​Ivonne Higuero, Secretary-General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, CITES​​

Participating intergovernmental organizations (IGOs):

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.
​Find out more

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.
Find out more

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.
​Find out more

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.
​Find out more

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.
​Find out more

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

---

Practical information

• Date: 18 November 2026
• Location:
• Agenda (coming soon)

---

MEDIA CENTER

Supporting materials

• TRACIT Media Release
• National Governance Framework report​