Looking beyond the criminal frame

Daleth’s research workstream is dedicated to  documenting and advancing inquiry into emerging issues at the intersection of organized crime, crime and drug policy, sustainable development, and human rights.  It seeks to restore the plurality of drug- and crime-related issues and to reflect upon the possibility of coherence across fragmented policy-making processes


Transnational organized crime defies simple narratives. 


Illicit trade, drug economies, and trafficking do not occur in a vacuum, nor are they the result of the actions of some vague or externalized “they.” These phenomena are not solely about products, criminal behavior, or market dynamics.


Organized crime is rooted in people, practices, and contexts — shaped by broader socio-economic, political and policy conditions.


To effectively address these issues, research and policy responses must go beyond examining the internal organization or interactions of criminal networks. They must also engage with the deeper structural drivers, enabling factors, and systemic schemes that allow these phenomena to persist and evolve.

Our work focuses on four thematic lines

  • Governance and crime dynamics, including political economies;
  • Development-oriented approaches to drugs, such as alternative development and community resilience strategies.
  • Indicators and policy evaluation grids to better capture and interpret complex realities;
  • Policy coherence across crime control, development, and human rights agendas.


To support this work, Daleth works with a   flexible network of contributors who engage through collaborative research, advisory roles, and scientific activities aimed at rethinking how we understand and respond to drug- and crime- related challenges.


Interested in funding a project or developing a research mandate with us?