Drugs and illicit practices: Assessing their impact on development and governance

Eric Gutierrez

In a new, much-needed investigation, Christian Aid has begun to expose a major blind spot in development thinking, an area that has so far been hidden from view: the impact of the illicit economy on poverty eradication. In-depth case studies from four of the countries at the heart of the illicit drugs trade – Afghanistan, Colombia, Mali and Tajikistan – show how the illicit drugs trade is shaping the economies, governance, and social fabric of entire nations. This synthesis report explains the urgent need for this analysis, sets out the case studies’ main findings, raises the questions we need to start grappling with, and begins the search for solutions.

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