The UN has recognised the importance of global police force Interpol and called for greater cooperation between the two agencies to counter both terrorism and international organised crime such as human trafficking, migrant smuggling weapons trafficking.
Reviewing a resolution that strengthened the link between the two organisations that was adopted two years ago, UN member states issued a statement in which they acknowledged the vital importance of providing Interpol with information and intelligence from conflict zones, counter-terrorism military operations and national prison systems to boost the agency’s ability to identify and apprehend terrorist suspects.
Resolution 71/19 emphasised the importance of coordination and cooperation between Interpol and the UN to create synergies within their respective mandates in the fight against transnational organised crime.
Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York earlier this week, Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock said: “The relationship between the UN and Interpol in tackling these crime areas has substantially strengthened since the adoption of [the resolution].
“The cooperation between our two organisations has especially intensified in the context of counter-terrorism.
“Over the past two years, new cooperation agreements have been signed between Interpol and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism and the UN Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, and in this context allowing Interpol expert participation in 17 CTED Country Assessment visits.”
Highlighting recent successes that had come about as a result of the link between the two organisations, the UN noted that Interpol-led operations Epervier (Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal), Libertad (Caribbean, Central and South America) and Sawiyan (Sudan) had led to the rescue of nearly 1,000 victims of human trafficking and people smuggling.
The UN also recognised how regional operations coordinated by Interpol to disrupt the movement of illicit weapons had resulted in the seizure of hundreds of firearms, ammunition and explosives, as well as the arrest of individuals linked to migrant smuggling and the seizure of illicit drugs.
Stock observed how the close convergence of the UN and Interpol’s respective visions was exemplified by the seven Global Policing Goals launched by the law enforcement agency alongside the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna last month.
These focus on countering the threat of terrorism, promoting border integrity worldwide, protecting vulnerable communities, securing cyberspace for people and businesses, promoting global integrity, curbing illicit markets, and supporting environmental security and sustainability.
Commenting on the goals when they were launched last month, Odd Reidar Humlegard, National Police Commissioner of Norway, said: “The global policing goals developed alongside the UN agenda 2030, will allow a uniform and comprehensive way of addressing the development of security sector reforms globally, providing a roadmap for the future sustainable development of law enforcement on the national and international levels.”
Social Widget