INTERPOL Grows to 190 Countries
The international police organization completed its 80th General Assembly last week in Hanoi after approving the applications of Curaçao, Sint Maarten and South Sudan to join. Leaders say delegates also approved measures to make it easier to combat 21st Century crime.
INTERPOL ended its 80th General Assembly in Hanoi last week after approving the applications of Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and South Sudan to join the police organization, which now has 190 member countries. The meeting also saw delegates pass measures that will give the organization an even stronger platform for combating 21st Century crime, leaders said.
President Khoo Boon Hui said the four-day meeting produced "a deep and broad commitment to the principles of enhancing international police cooperation. At this General Assembly, we manifested our collective resolve to confront present and emerging security threats. The various discussions and debates reflect our commitment and our strong desire to make our Organization ready and well placed to face the challenges of 21st Century policing."
"One of the biggest challenges we face in law enforcement is the sophisticated criminal anonymity on the horizon before us. Our successes in the past have been made possible by our willingness to innovate, and we will continue to identify and meet new challenges by constantly securing, constantly innovating, and constantly improving,” said Secretary General Ronald K. Noble. "As we move with confidence towards this innovative future, it is vital that we do so from a firm base, and the decisions taken during this General Assembly have reinforced our already strong foundations."
A key resolution related to IT developments for staffers at the General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon, France, and officers working in the 190 National Central Bureaus around the world. Sharing information related to maritime piracy, particularly populating INTERPOL's Global Maritime Piracy and Stolen Vessels databases, also won delegates' support.
Delegates elected new members to the 13-member Executive Committee:
- Deputy Commissioner of Nigerian Police Adamu Mohammed is the new vice president for Africa
- Director General of the Colombian National Police, General Oscar Adolfo Naranjo Trujillo, is vice president for the Americas
- Inspector General Emmanuel Gasana from Rwanda and Major General Fathel Rahman Osman Mohamed from Sudan were elected as delegates for Africa.
- Two delegates for the Americas were elected, Marcos Vasquez Meza, general director of the Chilean Investigative Police, and Tim Williams, director of NCB Washington (United States).
- Pieter Jaap Aalbersberg, chief constable of the Amsterdam-Amstelland Regional Police, The Netherlands, and Sanna Palo, head of NCB Helsinki (Finland) were elected as delegates for Europe.