Webinar video now live - Rooting Out Collusion: Reforming Police and Military Entanglement with Organised Crime

The SOC ACE Webinar Rooting Out Collusion: Reforming Police and Military Entanglement with Organised Crime looked at why Colombia and Georgia succeeded in reducing police and military involvement in organised crime whilst South Africa's reforms failed to address the problem, and what this reveals for contemporary security sector reform, organised crime control, and resilience building.

The speakers discussed their project exploring how reformers in Colombia and Georgia exploited political openings, restructured security organisations, and strengthened prosecutorial capacity to dismantle entrenched criminal networks. They also explained why South Africa's democratic policing reforms struggled to confront collusion. The webinar examined the organisational and institutional measures that enabled success, the political incentives and resistance that shaped outcomes, and the scope and limits of external support in such contexts.

Speakers -

• Dr Liam O'Shea (SGI Research) is a specialist in security sector reform, anti-corruption, organised crime, and the politics of Eurasia. His research examines how political and institutional dynamics shape the integrity of security institutions. A former adviser with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office he provides analysis and policy advice on governance and security challenges in complex political environments.

• Dr Louis-Alexandre Berg (Georgia State University) - Louis-Alexandre Berg is an Associate Professor in the Global Studies Institute and Political Science Department and Georgia State University. His research explores the causes and consequences of conflict, crime and political violence in weak states, with a focus on the effects of civil war on state formation, and the impact of international peacebuilding and state-building programs. 

  Moderator -

• Dr Jonathan Marley. Jonathan leads the OECD’s States of Fragility series and oversees associated research and analysis on development, peace and security. He is also leading the current refresh of the OECD's Handbook on Security Sector Reform.

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