Interpol

The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) or International Police is the largest international police organization, with its headquarters in Lyon, city located in the French region of Rhône-Alpes. It is made up of 195 member countries after the accession of the Federated States of Micronesia, which is why it is one of the largest international organizations in the world, exceeding the number of countries attached to the United Nations by two. Created in 1923 under the name of the International Criminal Police Commission, it took the common name of Interpol from its telegraphic address.

The organization's headquarters are in Lyon, France. Its president is Gabriel Orobiyi Nikobara since November 2018. Its general secretary is Jürgen Stock, who took office in November 2014.

Due to the politically neutral role it must play, Article 3 of Interpol's constitution prohibits any type of relationship with political, military, racial and religious crimes. Its work focuses on public security, terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, child pornography, economic crimes and corruption.

History

Its history begins in 1914 in the framework of the First International Congress of Criminal Police, held in Monaco. Police officers, lawyers and magistrates from 24 countries met to discuss arrest procedures, identification techniques and extradition procedures.

In 1923, the International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC) was created, with headquarters in Vienna (Austria), on the initiative of Dr. Johannes Schober, president of the Vienna Police.

In 1925, the General Assembly, meeting in Berlin (Germany), proposed that each country establish a central contact point within the framework of its police structure, which would be the forerunner of the National Central Office (NCB).

In 1932, Dr. Schober died, so the creation of the post of general secretary began. The first to occupy such a position will be the Austrian Oskar Dressler, Police Commissioner of his country.

In 1938, the Nazis depose the general secretary and take control of the organization. Most countries cease to participate effectively and the ICPC ceases to exist as an international organization.

In 1946, Belgium leads the rebuilding of the organization after the end of World War II. A new headquarters is created in Paris, where a democratic process was carried out to elect the president and the executive committee.

Following the approval of a modernized constitution, the ICPC becomes the International Criminal Police Organization-Interpol in 1956. The organization becomes autonomous by collecting dues from member countries and makes investments its main means support.

In 1963, the first regional conference was held in Monrovia, Liberia.

In 1971, the United Nations recognized Interpol as an intergovernmental organization.

Interpol inaugurates the liaison office with the United Nations in New York and the first special representative was appointed in 2004. The organization currently employs more than 19,000 people, including agents, soldiers, lawyers, service agents secret and systems engineers.

Currently it works closely with Europol and Ameripol.

Structure

As defined in article 5 of its constitution, Interpol is made up of the following structures:

General Assembly

It is the supreme governing body, which meets every year, being able to meet extraordinarily at the request of the executive committee or the majority of the members. It is made up of delegates designated by each member country. The assembly makes all decisions related to policy, resources, working methods, finances, activities and programs. It also elects the Organization's Executive Committee. In general terms, the assembly makes decisions by simple majority, in the form of resolutions, unless the statute expressly requires a two-thirds majority. Each member country has only one vote represented.

Executive Committee

Interpol's Executive Committee is the deliberative body that meets three times a year, usually in March, July and immediately before the General Assembly.

In accordance with article 15 of the Constitution, the Executive Committee has 13 members: the president, 3 vice-presidents and 9 delegates. These members are elected by the General Assembly and must come from different countries. In addition, the president and the 3 vice presidents must come from different continents.

Its function, in accordance with article 22 of the Constitution, is to:

1. Monitor compliance with General Assembly decisions.
2. Prepare the agenda for General Assembly meetings.
3. To submit to the General Assembly any programme or project of work that it deems useful.
4. Supervising the administration and work of the general secretary.

General Secretariat

Interpol Headquarters in Lyon

Located in Lyon, France, the General Secretariat operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is headed by the Secretary General. Officials from more than 80 countries work in any of the four official languages: Arabic, English, French and Spanish. The Secretariat has six regional offices in Argentina, Ivory Coast, El Salvador, Kenya, Thailand and Zimbabwe, and a United Nations liaison office in New York.

She is elected by the general assembly for a period of five years. In order to fulfill its functions, it is structured into four subdivisions:

1. General Assembly.
2. Criminal matters.
3. General documentation and studies.
4. Technical support.

Their functions are:

1. To execute the agreements of the general assembly and the executive committee.
2. Acting as an international centre to combat crime.
3. Technical information centre for national offices.
4. Organize and execute secretariat work at meetings of the General Assembly and the Executive Committee.

National Headquarters

Each of Interpol's member countries maintains a National Central Bureau (NCB), made up of officials charged with enforcing national law.

The role of an NCB is to participate in all Interpol activities and consistently provide active cooperation consistent with the laws of their countries in order for Interpol to achieve its goals.

The NCB is typically a division of a country's national police, investigative agency or service, or falls under the jurisdiction of the ministry or department in charge of public security or justice.

The head of the NCO is normally one of the highest-ranking law enforcement officials in the country. Depending on the size of the country, the NCB may have just two or three officers responsible for all Interpol-related activities, or several dozen officers, with specialists in terrorism, fugitives, cybercrime, human trafficking human rights, drugs or stolen property. Larger NCBs may have their own emergency center crisis management or legal advisers to deal with requests from other countries.

Regional Divisions

To effectively serve NCBs, Interpol and member country groups work in five different regions, Africa, Americas, Asia and South Pacific, Europe, and Middle East and North Africa.

This allows NCBs to coordinate regional operational activities in the context of local priorities and action plans, to share best practices and identify solutions to their law enforcement needs. Each region has the support of a deputy director in the General Secretariat.

Each member country sends delegates to the Interpol General Assembly, and each region nominates delegates from the 13-member Executive Committee - most of whom are senior police chiefs. These two governing bodies ensure that all regions have a say in the organization's plans and strategies. In this way, the NCB assists in the implementation of these plans and strategies, among other things, and acts as a liaison point between national police forces and the Interpol community.

Criminal police in the Latin world

The concept of criminal police in some countries of the Latin world (Spain, Portugal, Italy) does not exist as such, but corresponds to the tasks and functions of the Judicial Police. In Mexico there is the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC), which reports to the Attorney General of the Republic.

Member countries

States members of Interpol

Central sub-offices of dependent countries

Del United KingdomUnited Kingdom:

• AnguillaAnguilla
• BermudaBermuda
• Gibraltar
• Cayman Islands
• British Virgin Islands
• MontserratMontserrat
• Turks and Caicos Islands

From United States:

• Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
• American SamoaAmerican Samoa

From ChinaChina

• MacaoMacao
• Hong KongHong Kong

Non-members

• Cook IslandsCook Islands
• Faroe IslandsFaroe Islands
• North KoreaNorth Korea
• NiueNiue
• PalaesPalaes
• Tuvalu
• KosovoKosovo
• Saharawi Democratic RepublicSaharawi Democratic Republic

Secretaries General and Presidents

Ronald Noble, former secretary-general from 2000 to 2014, at the 6th World Congress against piracy and trafficking in illicit products.

Secretaries General since the creation of the organization in 1923:

Oskar Dressler	1923-1946
Louis Ducloux	1946-1951
Marcel Sicot	1951–1963
Jean Népote	1963–1978
André Bossard	1978-1985
Raymond Kendall	1985–2000
Ronald Noble	2000–2014
Jürgen Stock	2014-current

Presidents since 1923:

Johann Schober	1923–1932
Franz Brandl	1932-1934
Eugen Seydel	1934-1935
Michael Skubl	1935-1938
Otto Steinhäusl	1938-1940
Reinhard Heydrich	1940-1942
Arthur Nebe	1942-1943
Ernst Kaltenbrunner	1943-1945
Florent Louwage	1945-1956
Agostinho Lourenço	1956-1960
Sir Richard Jackson	1960-1963
Fjalar Jarva	1963–1964
Firmin Franssen	1964-1968
Paul Dickopf	1968-1972
William Leonard Higgitt	1972-1976
Carl Persson	1976-1980
Jolly Bugarin	1980-1984
John Simpson	1984-1988
Ivan Barbot	1988-1992
Norman Inkster	1992-1994
Björn Eriksson	1994-1996
Toshinori Kanemoto	1996–2000
Look at Jesus.	2000–2004
Jackie Selebi	2004-2008
Arturo Herrera Verdugo	2008 (internal)
Khoo Boon Hui	2008–2012
Mireille Ballestrazzi	2012–2016
Meng Hongwei	2016–2018
Kim Jong Jang	2018 - 2021
Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi	2021-act.