Interpol (Lyon)
7 July 2009
press release
Cairo — INTERPOL's 20th African Regional Conference opened today with a call for its member countries from Africa to boost security and the effectiveness of police action across the continent and beyond through regional police co-operation and international strategic partnerships.
The three-day (7-9 July) meeting, gathering over 160 law enforcement officials from almost 40 countries and eight international organizations, will focus on bolstering police capacity, both nationally and regionally, by enhancing the investigative capacity of police and their resources to improve cross-border operations. Drug trafficking, maritime piracy, counterfeit medicines, and INTERPOL’s German-funded OASIS (Operational Assistance, Services and Infrastructure Support) programme in Africa will top the agenda. With United Nations peacekeepers operating in Africa, the conference will also hear plans by INTERPOL and the UN to hold a ministerial meeting during INTERPOL’s General Assembly in Singapore on 12 October to give police its full role in peacekeeping.
Outlining collaborative initiatives undertaken to meet Africa’s police challenges, INTERPOL President KHOO Boon Hui said that the conference would review the priorities for Africa and how best to further strengthen operational capabilities for policing in the region and beyond. “INTERPOL understands that Africa faces complex law enforcement problems that one organisation alone cannot solve. A multi-faceted approach that pools resources and forges strategic partnerships with other international organizations is key to bringing about change and deliver better services to INTERPOL member countries, which will
benefit the African region,” Mr Khoo said.
In one such strategic partnership, INTERPOL’s work with the World Health Organisation under the framework of the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force (IMPACT), saw Egyptian police earlier this year carry out raids targeting counterfeit medical products which netted five key suspects and the recovery of millions of potentially dangerous counterfeit medicines worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Egyptian First Assistant Minister of the Interior Adly Fayed said that co-operation was ‘a necessary requirement’ in ensuring security. “The conference is important in updating and developing joint working programmes and activities for police to fight crime and track criminals,” the Assistant Minister said. Lauding Africa as ‘a model’ for international police engagement and collaboration, INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said law enforcement’s continued effectiveness depended on the capacity of police in the region to share information and resources and to co-ordinate investigations via INTERPOL’s global resources and network of 187 member countries. “It is therefore essential to continue expanding beyond INTERPOL’s National Central Bureaus in Africa the use of the vital tools and services that INTERPOL provides its member countries to support national and regional policing efforts so that international law enforcement can better position itself to respond to existing and emerging threats by addressing the operational needs of police on the ground,” Mr Noble said.
“A sound regional crime strategy requires further investing in INTERPOL’s national and regional bureaus, for without their expertise, dedication and reach, no anti-crime plan can be truly operational and effective,” the INTERPOL chief added. In this respect, the INTERPOL Regional Bureau in Nairobi is to play a key role in co-ordinating regional action against maritime piracy in the Horn of Africa to better support national and international investigations and operations.
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