THEME FOR THIRD FUNDING ROUND
PMI IMPACT's Third Round of Funding welcomes projects that aim to reduce illegal trade, prevent it and counter the negative consequences of illegal trade for individuals, their families, and communities.
Applicants can be based anywhere in the world, however all proposals must address the Third Funding Round Theme and focus on one of the following proposed topics:
Topic 1: Border Control
Sea, land and air borders play a central role in deterring illegal trade, and modern equipment and technologies are necessary to adequately monitor border zones, as well as effective border control management and policy. This topic includes three sub-topics:
- Sub-topic 1.1- Provision of equipment at the border: equipment with the potential to increase detection rate of illegal trade at borders. This would include scanning equipment, communication equipment, surveillance and detection equipment, vehicles and renovation work. The Applicant should assess the impact of the equipment in terms of control effectiveness. Potential beneficiaries are law enforcement authorities.
- Sub-topic 1.2 - Support to the development of innovative technological solutions: innovative and promising technological solutions with potential to improve border control. Technological solutions should be based on advanced analytics including internet of things, biometrics, data analytics, and machine learning. Beneficiaries could be public or private entities.
- Sub-topic 1.3: Border control management and policy: recommendations for more effective border-control management and effective policies to deter illicit trade; how policies and regulations could provide effective tools to Law Enforcement and Border Control agencies to facilitate and support their actions in an effective and pragmatic way.
- Sub-topic 1.1 - Provision of equipment at the border: equipment with the potential to increase detection rate of illegal trade at borders. This would include scanning equipment, communication equipment, surveillance and detection equipment, vehicles and renovation work. The Applicant should assess the impact of the equipment in terms of control effectiveness. Potential beneficiaries are law enforcement authorities.
- Sub-topic 1.2 - Support to the development of innovative technological solutions: innovative and promising technological solutions with potential to improve border control. Technological solutions should be based on advanced analytics including internet of things, biometrics, data analytics, and machine learning. Beneficiaries could be public or private entities.
- Sub-topic 1.3 - Border control management and policy: recommendations for more effective border-control management and effective policies to deter illicit trade; how policies and regulations could provide effective tools to Law Enforcement and Border Control agencies to facilitate and support their actions in an effective and pragmatic way.
Topic 2: Capacity building
Capacity building is the process by which individuals and organizations develop competencies and skills in order to make them more effective in fulfilling their mission. Two sub-topics are proposed: training for police and judges and support to system dynamic models.
- Subtopic 2.1 - Training for law enforcement and judicial academies: Capacity building for law enforcement and judiciary academies is fundamental in the fight against illegal trade and in the promotion of the rule of law. Given the growing complexity of illegal trade, customs, police officers, and justice officials have to constantly integrate new procedures and legal concepts in their practice. The proposed projects could include the development of new curricula, the funding of exchange programmes, the provision of teaching equipment or renovation works of training centers.
- Subtopic 2.2: Development of Systems Dynamic Models on illegal trade: System Dynamics models are tools that examine the behavior of complex systems over time. By combining qualitative and quantitative aspects, historical data and performance goals these models permit to analyze whether a particular policy generates behavior that is better or worse, when compared to the baseline or other policies. System dynamic modelling on issues related to illicit trade can assess the potential impact of policies against illegal trade, including its unexpected side-effects and unintended consequences. Support to system dynamic modelling can therefore increase the capacity of decision makers to select optimal policies. The proposed project could support the modelling of specific aspects of policies against illegal trade.
- Sub-topic 2.1 - Training for law enforcement and judicial academies: Capacity building for law enforcement and judiciary academies is fundamental in the fight against illegal trade and in the promotion of the rule of law. Given the growing complexity of illegal trade, customs, police officers, and justice officials have to constantly integrate new procedures and legal concepts in their practice. The proposed projects could include the development of new curricula, the funding of exchange programmes, the provision of teaching equipment or renovation works of training centers.
- Sub-topic 2.2 - Development of Systems Dynamic Models on Illegal trade: System Dynamics models are tools that examine the behavior of complex systems over time. By combining qualitative and quantitative aspects, historical data and performance goals these models permit to analyze whether a particular policy generates behavior that is better or worse, when compared to the baseline or other policies. System dynamic modelling on issues related to illicit trade can assess the potential impact of policies against illegal trade, including its unexpected side-effects and unintended consequences. Support to system dynamic modelling can therefore increase the capacity of decision makers to select optimal policies. The proposed project could support the modelling of specific aspects of policies against illegal trade.
Topic 3: Restorative justice and Victims' protection
Restorative justice programmes (RJP) refer to a range of initiatives to allow victims and offenders and their families to repair the emotional harm caused by a crime. RJP are provided both by the Justice Administration and by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). RJP are based on the fundamental principle that criminal behavior not only violates the law, but also injures victims and the community1 RJP is often based on cooperative processes that allows victims and offenders and their families to meet.
A central aspect of the concept is its integral approach: 1) it provides an opportunity for victims to obtain reparation, feel safer and seek closure; 2) it allows offenders to gain insight into the causes and effects of their behavior and to take responsibility in a meaningful way2 This in turn can facilitate reintegration; 3) it enables communities to understand the underlying causes of crime, to promote community wellbeing and to prevent crime.
The proposed project could support NGOs implementing specific initiatives in the field of restorative justice. It could also be projects implemented by justice authorities and aiming at reinforcing their Human Rights and Restorative Justice capacity.
Victims support refers to the services provided by governmental and nongovernmental actors to the victims of crime. Services provided usually include information relevant to the rights of the victims, information on specialized support services, emotional support, financial and legal advices, and advises to prevent repeat victimization. In some case it can also include childcare or emergency accommodation (shelters) for victims.
The Third of Funding Round of PMI IMPACT will focus on the victims of illegal trade. Projects could include the renovation of victim support facilities, the training of staff at victim's centers, the awareness of judiciary and police officers on the right of victims and other.
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1 The role of the community is central for RJP. RJP assume that crime is the result of severed or damaged social bonds between individuals or between offenders and the larger community. These bonds must be repaired to ensure victim reparation and offender reintegration.
2 Contrary to criminal justice, restorative justice is based on the idea that offenders take responsibility for their action.
Restorative justice programmes (RJP) refer to a range of initiatives to allow victims and offenders and their families to repair the emotional harm caused by a crime. RJP are provided both by the Justice Administration and by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). RJP are based on the fundamental principle that criminal behavior not only violates the law, but also injures victims and the community1 . RJP is often based on cooperative processes that allows victims and offenders and their families to meet.
A central aspect of the concept is its integral approach: 1) it provides an opportunity for victims to obtain reparation, feel safer and seek closure; 2) it allows offenders to gain insight into the causes and effects of their behavior and to take responsibility in a meaningful way2 . This in turn can facilitate reintegration; 3) it enables communities to understand the underlying causes of crime, to promote community wellbeing and to prevent crime.
The proposed project could support NGOs implementing specific initiatives in the field of restorative justice. It could also be projects implemented by justice authorities and aiming at reinforcing their Human Rights and Restorative Justice capacity.
Victims support refers to the services provided by governmental and nongovernmental actors to the victims of crime. Services provided usually include information relevant to the rights of the victims, information on specialized support services, emotional support, financial and legal advices, and advises to prevent repeat victimization. In some case it can also include childcare or emergency accommodation (shelters) for victims.
The Third of Funding Round of PMI IMPACT will focus on the victims of illegal trade. Projects could include the renovation of victim support facilities, the training of staff at victim's centers, the awareness of judiciary and police officers on the right of victims and other.
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1The role of the community is central for RJP. RJP assume that crime is the result of severed or damaged social bonds between individuals or between offenders and the larger community. These bonds must be repaired to ensure victim reparation and offender reintegration.
2 Contrary to criminal justice, restorative justice is based on the idea that offenders take responsibility for their action.
Topic 4: Network engagements, awareness building and international cooperation
An effective way to reduce illegal trade and its negative consequences is to make public or policy-makers aware of illegal trade and its impact on economy, public health and on security. Consumer awareness is also effective in addressing the demand for illegal goods. This topic aims at promoting diplomatic engagement through the development of networks and knowledge partnerships. It also aims at increasing international judiciary and law enforcement cooperation. Possible proposals could include public awareness projects, or projects aiming at supporting exchanges of good practices among judiciary and police authorities on issues related to illicit trade. It could also include initiatives supporting network engagements and cooperation among organizations recipients of funding from PMI IMPACT
An effective way to reduce illegal trade and its negative consequences is to make public or policy-makers aware of illegal trade and its impact on economy, public health and on security. Consumer awareness is also effective in addressing the demand for illegal goods. This topic aims at promoting diplomatic engagement through the development of networks and knowledge partnerships. It also aims at increasing international judiciary and law enforcement cooperation. Possible proposals could include public awareness projects, or projects aiming at supporting exchanges of good practices among judiciary and police authorities on issues related to illicit trade. It could also include initiatives supporting network engagements and cooperation among organizations recipients of funding from PMI IMPACT
Topic 5: COVID-19 and the threat of illicit trade
Organized crime has been active for years in the space of fake medicines, medical supplies and, most recently, personal protective equipment (PPE). International law enforcement organizations, such as Europol, and governmental bodies, such as the US Department of Homeland Security, had issued warnings on potential risks of organized crime profiting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, Europol announced the potential harm of offline and online scams, including alleged versions of the COVID-19 vaccine. These projections were later confirmed in Europol's November 2020 report, where it was identified that the distribution of substandard and counterfeit pharmaceutical products, including fake COVID-19 vaccines, had remained a consistent pandemic -related criminal activity.
It is feared that criminals will share disinformation to defraud individuals and companies alike. There have already been cases of advertisements on dark web marketplaces using the brands of genuine pharmaceutical companies that are already in the final stages of testing. These counterfeit vaccines may pose a significant risk to public health, given their uncontrolled and unregulated production. These fake or substandard vaccines may circulate on illicit markets or be introduced to the legal market for distribution.
Owing to the importance to health and security, PMI IMPACT Third Funding Round is open to project proposals that can address the threat of illicit COVID-19 vaccines, medical equipment and PPE. Two sub-topics are proposed:
- Sub-topic 5.1 - Innovation and technology: project proposals that bring innovation and technology to fight criminals exploiting the pandemic to their benefit. Tracking & tracing, a technology used to secure sensitive product's integrity, has reached a robust level of deployment and usage in several industries, like in the tobacco industry with the deployment of a European-wide system, mandated by EU directive. Projects aiming at strengthening the cybersecurity of supply chain from social engineering and phishing attacks are also pertinent to this sub-topic. Technological solutions should be based on advanced analytics including blockchain technologies, internet of things, data analytics, and machine learning.
- Sub-topic 5.2 - Public awareness: making the general public aware of the threats of counterfeited and substandard vaccines sold online is paramount. Opinion leaders, policymakers and civil society should be made aware of these risks. Experience has shown that successful solutions come through partnerships and joined action between the private sector, governments, media and civil society. Projects that recognize the importance of, and build on, collaboration across industry sectors and between public and private actors to resolve societal issues should apply.
- Sub-topic 5.1 - Innovation and technology: project proposals that bring innovation and technology to fight criminals exploiting the pandemic to their benefit. Tracking & tracing, a technology used to secure sensitive product's integrity, has reached a robust level of deployment and usage in several industries, like in the tobacco industry with the deployment of a European-wide system, mandated by EU directive. Projects aiming at strengthening the cybersecurity of supply chain from social engineering and phishing attacks are also pertinent to this sub-topic. Technological solutions should be based on advanced analytics including blockchain technologies, internet of things, data analytics, and machine learning.
- Sub-topic 5.2 - Public awareness: making the general public aware of the threats of counterfeited and substandard vaccines sold online is paramount. Opinion leaders, policymakers and civil society should be made aware of these risks. Experience has shown that successful solutions come through partnerships and joined action between the private sector, governments, media and civil society. Projects that recognize the importance of, and build on, collaboration across industry sectors and between public and private actors to resolve societal issues should apply.
A piecemeal approach to tackling such a multi-faceted problem is no longer sufficient. Achieving long-term results requires global action and solutions that address the issue in its entirety.
