The 79th general assembly of Interpol opened here yesterday with Qatar pledging $2m for the proposed Interpol Global Complex in Singapore.
The Minister of State for Interior, H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, announced the funding at the opening session of the conference, which is expected to approve detailed plans for the new centre.
“Qatar strongly supports the activities and efforts of Interpol, which has demonstrated an extraordinary energy in bringing together law enforcement from across the world to combat all types of crime and we are pleased to make this contribution towards the Interpol Global Complex,” said the minister.
“The key to success in fighting crime lies in closer coordination, in sharing information and good practice between experts from different countries and backgrounds,” he added.
The proposed global complex is intended to complement Interpol’s existing general secretariat in Lyons, France, and is planned to go into full operation in late 2013 or early 2014.
The anti-crime centre will provide innovative forensics and database research, and enhance the organisation’s ability to provide round-the-clock support to national police forces across time zones, the Interpol website says.
The four-day conference has brought together some 650 police chiefs and senior law enforcement officials from 141 countries.
Interpol President Khoo Boon Hui said the conference would help law enforcement across the globe identify ways to combat the ‘increasingly sophisticated crime challenges of the 21st century’, bringing to new levels the importance of international co-operation to effectively fight transnational crime.
“Traditional crime fighting techniques and the way we exchange and share police information is proving to be inadequate. Continuous innovation and adaptability to the operating environment are key to an effective policing strategy,” said Khoo.
He also emphasised the important contribution of the ministerial discussion towards identifying new strategies and perspectives in adapting a more holistic approach to combating transnational crime and terrorism.
With interventions from Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Pakistan, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sudan, the Vatican City and Vietnam addressing a range of issues relating to international security, a joint statement was endorsed by all of the 18 ministers in attendance and will provide a basis for future policing.
The statement noted with concern how innovation and technological breakthroughs can act as powerful weapons in the hands of those who seek to instil terror among citizens, prey on their resources or impose their will by violence, allowing perpetrators to act with unprecedented anonymity and reach.
It acknowledged the potentially devastating impact of international criminal action on peace and stability, particularly in post-conflict environments, and on the economic well-being of citizens and governments alike at a time of global financial distress.
The statement noted that international crime and terrorism cannot be effectively tackled by law enforcement agencies solely through a national approach; it requires constant cross-border cooperation among these agencies.
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