By Christine June
Public Affairs Office
George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (April 10, 2015) – Dr. Valbona Zeneli, professor of national security studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, talks about the abuse of entrusted power for private benefits in her presentation titled Corruption April 10 during the Countering Narcotics and Illicit Trafficking resident program at the Marshall Center here. Zeneli’s presentation was the first of two lecture themes that will be developed on day two of CNIT, emphasizing the impacts of corruption and organized crime and the importance of nations developing strategy and policies in response to the growing influence of transnational organized crime.

Participants will be briefed on how transnational criminal organizations flourish in an atmosphere of corruption, and how corruption frustrates our best efforts at countering transnational organized crime.

Participants will learn the answer to “A required first step in countering transnational organized crime and corruption?” The answer is political will and leadership to confront the problem, coupled with a national strategy built on the capabilities and resources of many agencies pooling their efforts together.

Today’s second lecture theme is Building a Countering Transnational Organized Crime National Strategy presented by U.S. Navy Cmdr. Kaholi Clark, senior policy analyst at the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy.