The International Risk Podcast

As we step into 2024, a critical year for democracy worldwide, the stage is set for 64 national elections, marking an unprecedented turnout at the polls. The backdrop is a canvas of escalating international tensions, the daunting specter of climate change, and stretched thin inter-governmental organizations like the UN and NATO. In a year of potential transformative elections, with prospects of Kier Starmer as UK’s Prime Minister and scrutiny of Joe Biden’s presidency, Russia presents a contrasting narrative with its upcoming elections from March 15th to 17th. The recent demise of Alexei Navalny, Putin's chief rival, casts a foreboding shadow over these elections. As President Putin stands poised for a potential fifth term, the halted advance in Ukraine and the shifting global perception of Russia raise critical questions about what lies ahead. : To dissect these complexities, we're joined by Ben Dubow, a vanguard in AI and disinformation analysis with a lens on Russia. At the helm of Omelas, and fellow at the Center for European Policy and Analysis, Ben leverages AI to parse open-source intelligence, offering insights that have influenced global media and scholarly discourse. Our conversation with Ben will traverse the future of the war in Ukraine post-elections, the intricacies of Russian AI in disinformation, the influence of oligarchs on Putin's decisions, and the intricate web of Putin's global relationships. We'll explore the economic, political, and social trajectories under Putin's looming term, considering the international chessboard of elections, including the US’s, and the potential withdrawal from NATO. Join us as we delve into the implications of Putin's presidency on the global stage. Ben's Dashboard to follow the Russian Elections can be found belowhttps://www.omelas.io/elections-dashboard

Over the last few weeks we have talked about some of the facets of transnational organised crime, and today's episode will continue to explore these international risks.  According to the UK Government, the illicit drugs market is big business, worth an estimated £9.4 billion a year in the UK alone.  Globally, over 236.1 million ransomware attacks occurred globally in the first half of 2022.  The international drug trade and cybercrime are two independent but interconnected concerns that have emerged in response to the globalised aspect of the modern world. The international drug trade is the illegal trafficking of narcotics and psychoactive substances across borders, facilitated by sophisticated criminal organisations that operate on a global scale. In contrast, cybercrime refers to a wide range of unlawful crimes carried out using digital means, such as hacking, identity theft, and online fraud.  While these international risks may appear unconnected, they have some similarities, such as the employment of advanced technology, international networks, and the exploitation of vulnerabilities in global systems. Criminal organisations involved in the drug trade frequently use cyber tools to communicate, launder money, and evade law enforcement. Additionally, the dark web serves as a platform for both drug trafficking and various forms of cybercrime.  The intertwining of these illicit activities poses complex challenges for international law enforcement and requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach to address these risks. In order to help us unpack these two vast networks of transnational organised crime, and their potential intersections, we are thrilled to be joined by Dr Christopher Allen. Dr. Chris Allen is a researcher, lecturer, consultant and commentator specialising in organised crime and how it operates.  He has significant experience in lecturing on drug trafficking, cybercrime, human trafficking and firearms trafficking, among other subjects. Chris is a Senior Lecturer and Consultant of the London Policing College. He is also the creator of the U BATTLE toolkit, an investigative strategy development tool that began under City of London Police in 2018 and since then has gained national and international recognition. U BATTLE uses the adapted versions of traditional business analysis techniques to improve the development of investigative strategies in order to dismantle organised crime groups. Furthermore, he is a member of the Society for Evidence Based Policing, the European Political Research Consortium Standing Group on Organised Crime and the International Association for the Study of Organised Crime. 

A few weeks ago, we spoke to Nathan Paul Southern, who gave us a deep dive into the links transnational criminal organisations have to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Transnational crime is a topic so vast, it would be an injustice to only cover one aspect of it, given  its impact on international risk. Today, we are going to discuss a hugely pertinent issue, human trafficking and people smuggling. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, ‘Human trafficking is a global crime that trades in people and exploits them for profit. People of all genders, ages and backgrounds can become victims of this crime, which occurs in every region of the world. Traffickers use violence, fraudulent employment agencies, and fake promises of education and job opportunities to trick, coerce and deceive their victims’ Victims of trafficking can be any age, any gender and from anywhere in the world. According to UNODC’s 2022 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons which is compiled using official figures from over 141 countries, female victims continue to be the primary targets. The Report shows that in 2020 42 percent of detected victims were women and 18 percent girls. For male victims, the Report shows that 23 per cent of detected victims were men and 17 per cent were boys. The Report shows that the share of children among detected trafficking victims has tripled while the share of boys has increased five times over the past 15 years. Globally, one in every three victims detected is a child. Girls are mainly trafficked for sexual exploitation, while boys are used for forced labour. The share of detected male victims has risen from around 10 per cent in 2003 to 40 per cent in 2020. To help us unpack this vast global issue, we are excited to be joined by Roy McComb. Roy is an experienced former law enforcement officer having held executive leadership roles as the Head of Organised Crime in Northern Ireland and a Deputy Director in the (UK) National Crime Agency, where he was the UK law enforcement lead for Modern Slavery/Human Trafficking, as well as Child Sexual Abuse. He now provides strategic advice on organized crime on a number of international projects, and is currently based in Mogadishu Somalia. 

As we have seen in the recent COP28 conference, and our episode with Valentina Lira, the nature of business for both leaders and stakeholders is vastly different to what it used to be at the start of the millennium. The rising importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance issues  for businesses brings opportunities and risks and we are thrilled to be joined by Chris Coulter, CEO of GlobeScan.  Chris works with businesses leaders, NGOs and governmental organisations to help them better understand and respond to shifting stakeholder expectations, build trust with key constituencies and exert greater influence in shaping a more sustainable and equitable future.  Chris has two decades of experience providing evidence-based counsel to leadership organisations in the areas of reputation, purpose and sustainability.  Chris is co-author of two books, All In: The Future of Business Leadership (2018) and The Sustainable Business Handbook (2022), and has a podcast, All In: The Sustainable Business Podcast.  

Parliamentary elections were held in Serbia on 17 December 2023 to elect members of the National Assembly. While they were initially scheduled to be held by 30 April 2026, Aleksandar Vučić, the president of Serbia, called a snap election in November 2023, after previously announcing that snap elections could be either held in 2023 or 2024. In addition to the parliamentary elections, the Vojvodina provincial and local elections were held in 65 cities and municipalities, including the capital, Belgrade. Data released by the election commission on Wednesday showed President Aleksandar Vučić’s Serbian Progressive party (SNS) won 46.75% of the vote, while a pro-European opposition coalition, Serbia Against Violence, got 23.66%.   The 2023 Serbian elections were highly contentious and sparked major controversy due to a number of reasons that created doubts about the electoral process's fairness and openness. President Aleksandar Vui's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) won a resounding win, maintaining its political control. However, the elections were criticised by opposition parties and international observers for charges of media censorship, limited freedom of expression, and unequal access to the media, all of which favoured the incumbent party. There were allegations that state resources were being exploited to assist the SNS campaign, jeopardising the electoral environment's impartiality. Furthermore, the opposition parties expressed worries about voter intimidation and irregularities, calling the election results into question. In order to help unpack these controversies and what these elections mean for both Serbia and the Balkans region as a whole, we are joined once again by Dr Alexander Mesarovich.Alexander Mesarovich earned his PhD (Politics) at the University of Edinburgh. His thesis analysed the impact of informal political networks on the EU accession processes of Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia. Since finishing his PhD, Alexander has been a teaching assistant at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Stirling and has worked as a Lecturer in Politics at the University of Strathclyde. Alexander was previously on the IRP discussing the international risks associated with EU enlargement in the Balkans.  You can listen to that conversation at episode 141. 

Today, we are thrilled to be joined by Nathan Paul Southern, an investigative journalist, a PhD Candidate at the University of St. Andrews, and a senior investigator at KSI, an independent investigative and research consultancy. As a non-traditional security specialist, he focuses on the links between organised crime, governance and armed groups. His work explores Chinese organised crime and the BRI, human trafficking, the global war on drugs, environmental crime, and the transnational trade in small arms. His geographical interest stretches through Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Afghanistan and Europe, and the dynamic between organised crime and militancy in the Sahel.  

 We are thrilled to be joined today by Valentin’s Lira. Valentina is an Industrial Engineer from the University of Chile, with a postgraduate degree in Environmental Economics from the University of California Berkeley. She worked as a Development Engineer at CMPC Holding and as Director of the Development and Conservation Program of Fundación Chile, achieving the first sale of carbon credits from forestry projects in Chile. Since 2011, Valentina Lira the Sustainability Division at Viña Concha y Toro, in charge of the development and implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Strategy. During this time, the company has integrated the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and has become the first Latin American company to make its commitment to reduce emissions based on climate science and became the largest winery being B Corp Certified. Since 2020, she has been an active member of the SBT Net-Zero Expert Advisory Group, contributing to the generation of a global standard for Net Zero Emission scenario.  Valentina has recently returned from COP28 in Dubai. This year had an enormous emphasis on business and how companies can become more environmentally conscious. Environmental, social and corporate governance, also known as ESG is becoming a commercial necessity in addition to providing significant benefits to companies. In light of the intensifying global race to attain net-zero emissions, companies seeking to enter into new alliances and partnerships need to be able to articulate their ESG strategy and, more importantly, explain how they intend to carry it out. This makes getting support from a variety of stakeholders and creating a coherent, fair, and transparent approach to ESG at COP28 even more crucial.  We are very excited to hear from Valentina about her experiences at the COP conference, as well as the opportunities and risks presented to businesses in the broader world of ESG  

In today's episode of The International Risk Podcast, we turn our attention to the intricate and dynamic process of EU enlargement in the Balkans. The region, known for its complex political and ethnic landscape, is at a pivotal moment in its integration into the European Union. We will explore the influence of the EU's policies on the Balkans, the socio-economic and political hurdles faced by countries in the region, and the broader geopolitical consequences of their potential accession to the EU. This discussion is timely and critical, as the stability and future of the Balkans are not just regional but also global concerns that touch on issues of democracy, security, and international cooperation. We are privileged to welcome Dr. Alexander Mesarovich a scholar with an extensive background in the politics of EU enlargement. Dr. Mesarovich's research into the influence of informal political networks on accession processes provides us with a unique lens through which to examine the ongoing transformations in the Balkans. With his postdoctoral work at the European University Institute focusing on the diffusion of illiberalism and populism, Dr. Mesarovich offers invaluable insights into the current challenges and future prospects of EU enlargement policy. 

Today we are joined by Zion Lights, a passionate science advocate and writer who wants to change the world for the better. She is the author of the book The Ultimate Guide to Green Parenting, the nature poetry book Only a Moment, and was a former spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion. She was the UK director of the pro-nuclear lobby group Environmental Progress, and currently the Founder Emergency Reactor, and a well-known public speaker. We are very grateful to have Zion on The International Risk Podcast today. .For more information on Zion, please take a look at the links below https://zionlights.substack.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zionlights/?originalSubdomain=uk 

Today, our podcasted is hosted by Ben Lawson, Intern at the International Risk Podcast, as we talk to Dominic Bowen. Every week we hear about the work Dominic does in the world of international risk, and in every episode Dominic shares some of his knowledge about international risk, to contextualise the questions he asks his guests; and today, we thought it would be interesting to put Dominic in the guest’s chair. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine at the time of recording, been taking place for 648 days. In this time, Dominic has spent a significant amount of time working across Ukraine including the frontline, and today we speak with Dominic whilst he is in Ukraine; so today, we hope to learn from his experiences on the ground.  

Today we are thrilled to be joined by Professor Bruce Jones, a senior fellow with the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. His research expertise and policy experience are in international security, with his current research focusing on US strategy, international order, and great power relations. Professor Jones will help us explore what this expansion means for the future of international collaboration, governance, and the delicate balance of global power.  We are very excited to have Professor Jones on the International Risk Podcast today. 

The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members, and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with risk management specialists from around the world. Our host is Dominic Bowen, originally from Australia, is one of Europe’s leading international risk specialists. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world’s highest-risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledgeFollow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for all our great updates.Today we are excited to be joined by Professor James Teo. Professor Teo is a Professor of Neurology at Kings College Hospital, and Clinical Director of Data Science and AI at Kings College Hospital and Guys & St Thomas Hospital. He has extensive experience in data science research, including machine vision and clinical natural language processing, as well as clinical trial governance. On top of all that, he continues to be a practicing clinical neurologist treating patients with stroke and neurorehabilitation.

The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members, and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with risk management specialists from around the world. Our host is Dominic Bowen, originally from Australia, is one of Europe’s leading international risk specialists. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world’s highest-risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledgeFollow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for all our great updates.In today's episode, we are thrilled to be joined by  Hamsini Hariharan, who currently works as a China expert at Logically AI. Hamsini has an interesting and varied background, having worked as a researcher and journalist as well as consultant to the Ministry of External Affairs at the Government of India between 2021 and 2022. We are really grateful that she is joining us on the podcast today to discuss the issues surrounding the release of water waste in Fukushima and China’s reaction to the decision.Read more about Hamsini here at LinkedIn

The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with risk management specialists from around the world. Our host is Dominic Bowen, originally from Australia, is one of Europe's leading international risk specialists. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledgeFollow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for all our great updates.In this episode, Dominic meets Mark Dummett, Head of Business and Human Rights, as well as human rights researcher at Amnesty International. He will lead today's episode on the current extraction of cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the effects the industry is having on the workers. This will include discussions on the cost of electric vehicles in relation to cobalt, and the relationship between China and the West in determining the standards of work in the DRC.

The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with risk management specialists from around the world. Our host is Dominic Bowen, one of Europe's leading international risk specialists. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledgeFollow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for all our great updates.This week, Dominic talks with Roger Burrows. Roger Burrows is Professor in Global Inequalities in the School of Policy Studies at the University of Bristol, UK and Honorary Professorial Fellow at the Centre for Cities at the University of Melbourne, Australia. His most recent research has been on the social impacts of the global superrich and, more recently, the role of digital risk profiling technologies in housing markets. His writings on NRx include Smith, H. and Burrows, R. (2021) ’Software, Sovereignty and the Post-neoliberal Politics of Exit', Theory, Culture & Society, 38, 6:143-166, which is Open Access. 

The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with risk management specialists from around the world. Our host is Dominic Bowen, one of Europe's leading international risk specialists. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledgeFollow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for all our great updates.This week, Dominic talks with Mohammed Al Samawi. Mohammed is an interfaith activist, a refugee from Yemen, and the author of the best-selling autobiography The Fox Hunt: A Refugee's Memoir of Coming To America. In the episode Mohammed and Dominic explore the meaning of being interfaith in a world that has increasing amounts of religious polarisation, as well as discussing Mohmammed's first-hand experience of the conflict in Yemen.Find out more about Mohammed and his organisation Abrahamic house here.

The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with risk management specialists from around the world. Our host is Dominic Bowen, one of Europe's leading international risk specialists. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledgeFollow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for all our great updates.This week, Dominic talks with Jacqueline Brassey, Michiel Kruyt and Erik Salvador on Deliberate Calm. Authors Jacqueline Brassey, Michiel Kruyt and Aaron De Smet produced Deliberate Calm to be a guide which combines psychology, neuroscience and consciousness practices with the combined experience being in an international board room and working alongside leaders around the globe to help people thrive in periods of crisis and uncertainty, combatting the adaptability paradox. Erik Salvador has assisted on the construction of Deliberate Calm through his experience as the former head of the Institute of Military Psychiatry and Combat Stress in the Norwegian Armed Forces Joint Medical Services and was the Chief Psychiatrist in the Norwegian Armed Forces, a Senior Advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as to the UN, NATO and Nordic defense cooperation boards on Military Psychiatry and Combat Stress. As such he has extensive firsthand experience in combatting stress and crisis management. Find out more about Erik, Michiel and Jaqueline, as well as discover the Deliberate Calm book here.

The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with risk management specialists from around the world. Our host is Dominic Bowen, one of Europe's leading international risk specialists. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for all our great updates.This week, Dominic discusses the stigmatisation that face human trafficking survivors when they escape the grips of their traffickers with Norma Bastidas. Norma is a survivor of sexual violence and human trafficking, who in 2014 broke the Guinness World Record for Longest Triathlon after cycling, swimming and running 3,762 miles. Such an athletic feat, Norma views to be a metaphor for the incredible amounts of trials everyday human trafficking survivors face. Norma uses her platform to be an advocate for human trafficking victims and survivors in effort to make a space where human trafficking survivors are supported. See Norma Bastidas's Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with risk management specialists from around the world. Our host is Dominic Bowen, one of Europe's leading international risk specialists. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for all our great updates.This week, Dominic discusses the rise of spillovers of zoonotic diseases and the threat of future pandemics motivated by human interactions with animals with David Quammen. David is a well known science writer and traveller, author of thirteen books notably 'Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic' and his most recent book 'Breathless: The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus.'Find out more about David Quammen on his website.

The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with risk management specialists from around the world. Our host is Dominic Bowen, one of Europe's leading international risk specialists. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for all our great updates.This week, Dominic discusses the declining liberal international order with Dr Neil Melvin, Director of International Security Studies at  insecurities in the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).  Together, they explore the associated risks of the declining order, from states challenging international norms, to the risks for businesses and organisations. Find Dr Neil Melvin's profile on LinkedIn and the RUSI website.