The Caucasus Office represents a Georgian component of the United Research Centers (URC) initiative, which is an endeavor comprised of two regional research centers in Russia: Saratov and Vladivostok. The URCs explore both national as well transnational issues of organized crime and corruption. The URCs also examine ties between organized criminal groups and corruption in Georgia, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and their neighbors. They further extrapolate this research to explore the linkages of regional organized crime groups and corruption in a broader transnational arena. The Caucasus Office is a vital and logical addition to TraCCC's URC initiative. The Caucasus Office is supported by the US Department of Justice - Criminal Division, Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT).


Why Georgia?

• The level of corruption in Georgia was one of the highest in the world. According to Transparency International's 2002 Annual Report, Georgia ranks in the 85th place.
• The international community recognizes Georgia's strategic location and its importance in the region.
• Georgia has a relatively open intellectual environment, as well as relatively free press and media.
• Georgia has a unique opportunity to introduce progressive political changes in the country and in the region. The "Rose Revolution" in November 2003 opened the way to reforms in law enforcement structures and improved fighting organized crime and corruption.
  
  
  

Main Functions of the Office
Among other activities within Georgia, the Office provides the required administrative and technical assistance to:

• support the drafting of legislation to combat organized crime, corruption, economic crime and money laundering in Georgia;
• produce research and policy papers on organized crime and corruption, economic crime and money laundering in Georgia;
• conduct public outreach through public forums on topics of organized crime, corruption, economic crime and money laundering and their relation to Georgian societal and economic development;
• organize and support exchange and training programs for Georgian policymakers, law enforcement, legislators, government officials, and students and scholars to interact with their peers in the United States, Russia, Ukraine, and Western Europe to explore methods of increasing the effectiveness of combating organized crime, corruption, economic crime and money laundering;
• develop training curricula for Georgian law enforcement, legislators, government officials, and students and scholars in the inter-related areas of crime and corruption and criminal justice reform.
  
  

The Office serves as an objective source of information for policymakers and society in general. The establishment of the Office allows for the effective distribution of objective research information on problems of organized crime, corruption, economic crime and money laundering to both the domestic and international community.