Focus: GS II: International Relations
Why in News?
The Prime Minister, addressed the 90th Interpol General Assembly in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
About Interpol
- The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO), commonly known as INTERPOL, is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime control.
- Headquartered in Lyon, it has seven regional bureaus worldwide and a National Central Bureau in all 194 member states, making it the world’s largest police organization.
- INTERPOL provides investigative support, expertise, and training to law enforcement worldwide, focusing on three major areas of transnational crime: terrorism, cybercrime, and organized crime.
- Its broad mandate covers virtually every kind of crime, including crimes against humanity, child pornography, drug trafficking and production, political corruption, copyright infringement, and white-collar crime.
- The agency also facilitates co-operation among national law enforcement institutions through criminal databases and communications networks.
- Contrary to popular belief, INTERPOL is itself not a law enforcement agency.
- INTERPOL is mostly funded by annual contributions by member police forces in 181 countries.
- It is governed by a General Assembly, composed of all member countries, which elects the Executive Committee and the President.
- Pursuant to its charter, INTERPOL seeks to remain politically neutral in fulfilling its mandate, as it is barred from interventions or activities of a political, military, religious, or racial nature or involving itself in disputes over such matters.
- The agency operates in four languages: Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.
- The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the nodal agency in the INTERPOL for India.
