There has been a monumental shift recently in the rhetoric and willingness of UN member states to understand the problems posed by illicit drug markets through the lens of sustainable development. This research seminar will show the relevance of this to Myanmar and the wider region, where illicit drug markets have in some cases provided viable livelihoods, but have also fed into the wider context of insecurity and poverty. In Myanmar, the illicit cultivation of opium poppy and the transhipment and use of illicit drugs have had a major impact on health indicators and the transmission of infectious diseases, in addition to becoming a catalyst of endemic insecurity in borderland areas. This seminar will explore some of the issues linked to illicit drug markets in Myanmar with reference to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

John Collins is Executive Director of the LSE International Drug Policy Unit (IDPU), a Fellow at the LSE US Centre, and a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Yale Centre for the Study of Globalization. 

Alexander Soderholm is the Policy Coordinator of the LSE International Drug Policy Unit (IDPU) and is currently an MPhil/PhD Candidate in Social Policy at the LSE Department of Social Policy.

Jürgen Haacke is Director of the Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre, within the Institute of Global Affairs, and Associate Professor of International Relations at LSE.

The Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre (SEAC) is a cross-disciplinary, regionally-focused academic centre within the Institute of Global Affairs at LSE.

The LSE SEAC Research Fund is a grant available to LSE faculty and SEAC Associates to fill a gap in the available support for social science research on issues relevant to Southeast Asia. Dr Collins' project was one of six that were awarded funding from the Research Fund in February 2016.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #SEACResearchFund