Illicit Financial Flows in Oil and Gas Commodity Trade: Experience, Lessons and Proposals

Oil trade activities constitute the most significant source of domestic resource mobilisation for oil producing developing countries. Yet, corruption and illicit financial flows (IFFs) also expose them to macro-critical risks of economic instability, exacerbating their often-high vulnerability to chronic poverty, fragility and episodic conflict. Although the numbers are rubbery, the domestic resources lost to oil producing developing countries on account of IFFs in oil trade activities are estimated to exceed the value of foreign direct investment (FDI) and official development assistance (ODA). There are also clear links between oil trade activities, IFFs and rapidly escalating debt distress involving private creditors, oftentimes-independent commodity traders. Given the nature of these risks and in the context of commitments to a net zero transition, the role and impact of ODA both in attenuating IFF risks and in facilitating an effective transition have never been greater.