Our Policy Research team assists partners around the world to address the problems of illicit finance at the systemic level, supporting the design and implementation of policy interventions that strengthen societies and economies against the threat of financial crime.
We collaborate with public and private sector organisations to identify systems weaknesses, assess the impact of regulatory frameworks, and uncover opportunities for policy innovation. We deliver analysis, strategy and recommendations across the full range of illicit finance thematic areas, from artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to economic statecraft and trade controls.
Our research draws not only on quantitative data analysis but also on rich qualitative engagement with representatives of governments, regulators, law enforcement agencies, NGOs and industry, leveraging Themis’ global network to deliver a whole-system response to financial crime.
All our projects are designed to deliver real-world impact. We take research off the page and put it into action.
The complexities of illicit finance policy can be imposing. Our subject matter experts help those responsible for creating, enforcing or complying with anti-financial crime measures better understand their impact.
We support the design of more effective interventions by assessing how legislation, regulations and policy initiatives affect both illicit actors and stakeholders in the legitimate economy, establishing and testing theories of change. Our evaluations situate financial crime challenges within wider political and economic contexts, ensuring that the impact of policy interventions is understood both in detail and from broad, system-wide perspectives.
We help clients who :
Are conducting reviews of existing anti-financial crime policy measures,
Are designing and/or delivering new interventions, or
Are seeking to address illicit finance challenges within a wider programme of policy activity.
We collaborated with a national government body responsible for sanctions policy and enforcement to deliver a comprehensiive assessment of the impact of its trade sanctions on both domestic industry and the target-country economy..
Our approach combined in-depth desk research with insights gathered through roundtables and structured interviews, drawing on our network of business leaders, industry representatives, and policy experts. This enabled us to capture a wide range of perspectives and develop well-rounded policy recommendations.
The resulting report and presentations provided the client with a nuanced understanding of how its sanctions policy affected different sectors, supporting the design of more targeted and effective future interventions.
Effective anti-financial crime strategy requires a clear view of the landscape. Our Political Economy Analysis maps the intricate political and economic ecosystems that shape illicit finance threats and anti-financial crime responses.
We help clients who :
Require stakeholder mapping of the illicit finance/anti-financial crime landscape of a given jurisdiction or region,
Are seeking to more effectively engage with overseas counterparts, or
Are evaluating new investment and development opportunities.
On behalf of the foreign ministry of a national government seeking to engage an overseas counterpart in diplomatic collaboration around financial crime, we conducted a political economy analysis of the target jurisdiction’s illicit finance landscape.
We outlined the key drivers and sources for illicit financial flows within the jurisdiction and mapped the individual and organisational stakeholders of greatest influence in determining the jurisdiction’s response to financial crime. Through interviews and other primary research, we helped our client understand the reality of the dynamics at play in the target jurisdiction, informing the development of their diplomatic approach.
Combating financial crime requires a united front. We excel at fostering dynamic collaboration between public and private sector entities. By designing and facilitating targeted engagement forums – from high-level roundtables to practical workshops – we bridge understanding gaps, align priorities, and cultivate the partnerships essential for developing and implementing innovative, system-wide policy solutions for illicit finance.
We help clients who :
Are seeking to increase levels of anti-financial crime co-operation between public and private sectors,
Wish to engage key high-risk sectors in knowledge and capacity building forums, or
Require support establishing public-private partnership frameworks around illicit finance.
Across the jurisdictions in which we operate, we organise regular roundtable discussions for leaders in industry and government. These events, held under the Chatham House rule and with small groups of decision makers from the public and private sectors, are designed to foster candid discussions on critical issues related to financial crime. Recent topics have included the illicit gold trade, the role of artificial intelligence in anti-financial crime investigations, and the use of real estate investment by money launderers.
By bringing together experts, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, we create a forum for leaders to exchange ideas, challenges and best practices for financial crime prevention. Our roundtables help build relationships and foster deep public-private partnership, supporting national efforts to set new standards for anti-financial crime.
