INTERPOL General Assembly – 90th Session

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    • The Union Home minister recently addressed the concluding session of the 90th INTERPOL General Assembly.
      • This session was hosted by India in New Delhi.

    India’s recommendations for INTERPOL

    • Setting up of permanent platforms:
      • India recommended to Interpol that setting up permanent counter-terrorism and anti-narcotics real-time information exchange platforms.
        • These platforms would further strengthen the coordination and sustained action by the member countries against the global menaces.
        • For a united response,
        • India is also committed to extending all possible technical and manpower assistance to the global police organisation in this regard.
      • A similar approach was required to ensure effective action against the international drug trafficking networks, for which 
        • Deeper cooperation among the countries, 
        • Intelligence-based operations, 
        • Regional maritime security accords and 
        • Efficient anti-money laundering system were also essential.
    • Good and bad terrorism:
      • Describing terrorism as the worst form of human rights violation, the Home Minister said a general consensus would have to be developed on the definitions of “terrorism” and “terrorist”. 
      • The narratives of “good” and “bad” terrorism and “small” and “big” terrorism would weaken the fight against the threat which was high on Interpol’s priority list. 
    • Plan of Action:
      • Shah also suggested that Interpol prepare a plan for the next 50 years on the basis of its experience and achievements of the past 100 years.
    • India’s efforts in combating crimes:
      • Establishment of National Forensic Science University; an inter-operable criminal justice system; and linking of e-courts, e-prisons, e-forensics and e-prosecution with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems.
      • The Indian government has also decided to create a national database on crimes such as terrorism, narcotics and economic offences.
      • India has established the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, I4C, to combat cyber-crime in a comprehensive manner.

    Terrorism

    • An offence to intimidate a population or to compel a government or an international organisation to do or abstain from doing any act, which causes:
    • Death or serious bodily injury to any person.
    • Serious damage to public or private property, including a place of public use, a State or government facility, a public transportation system, an infrastructure facility or the environment.
    • Damage to property, places, facilities, or systems resulting in or likely to result in a major economic loss.
    • It encompasses a range of complex threats like organized terrorism in conflict zones, foreign terrorist fighters, radicalised ‘lone wolves’, etc.
    • Factors Responsible for Growth of Terrorism:
      • State-sponsorship and safe havens.
      • State-of-the-art communication systems.
      • Access to advanced technology.
      • Networking of terrorist groups with the criminal underworld.
    • Pakistan’s ‘good’ and ‘bad’ terrorists:
      • Pakistan’s stand:
        • Pakistan’s Army General in one of his speeches stated that as far as his country, army and ISI are concerned, there are clearly ‘good and bad’ terrorists. 
        • He stated that Pakistan was a victim of ‘bad terrorists’, implying terrorism emanating from Afghanistan.
        • Without naming India, he added that Islamabad supports ‘good terrorism’ if it is against any country it considers oppressive. 
        • In his opinion, India is an oppressive force in Kashmir. Thus, he officially admitted that Pakistan does support terror groups operating against India.
      • Realistically for Pakistan, the more it attempts to follow good versus bad terror, the more it would face destabilisation.

    More about the Interpol 

    • About:
      • Its full name is the International Criminal Police Organisation and is an intergovernmental organisation.
      • It has 195 member countries and it  helps police in all of them to work together to make the world a safer place.
        • It is headquartered in Lyon, France.
      • INTERPOL’s Centenary:
        • In 2023, INTERPOL will celebrate 100 years since the founding of the International Criminal Police Commission, which then became INTERPOL in 1956. 
    • INTERPOL NCB:
      • In each country, an INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) provides the central point of contact for the General Secretariat and other NCBs. 
        • An NCB is run by national police officials and usually sits in the government ministry responsible for policing.
        • The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is designated as the National Central Bureau of India.
    • INTERPOL agencies in India:
      • The Interpol nodal agency in India is the CBI, but the counterterror agency is the National Investigation Agency. 
        • While the latter functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs, the former is under the Prime Minister’s Office.
    • The General Assembly:
      • The General Assembly is INTERPOL’s supreme governing body and comprises delegates appointed by the governments of our member countries.
        • It meets once a year and takes all the major decisions affecting general policy, the resources needed for international cooperation, working methods, finances and programmes of activities. 
        • These decisions are in the form of resolutions.
      • Executive Committee Elections:
        • The General Assembly elects new members to the Executive Committee as the incumbents end their mandate. 
    • INTERPOL’s Global Crime Trends Report:
      • This document provides member countries with an overview of the main crime threats in the world.

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