OSCE Secretariat and INTERPOL launch joint action plan to combat transnational crime

ST JOHANN IM PONGAU, Austria, 17 May 2017 – A new joint action plan between the OSCE Secretariat and INTERPOL will lead to increased collaboration between the two bodies to combat transnational threats, including organized crime and terrorism.

The three-year plan, signed by OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier and INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock on the margins of the 45th INTERPOL European Regional Conference, identifies priority areas for joint capacity-building activities to strengthen the performance of INTERPOL National Central Bureaus and the Border Crossing Points of OSCE participating States.

Key areas for co-operation include border security, counter-terrorism, forensic and police data management, fugitive investigative support, combating trafficking in human beings and the smuggling of migrants, countering the trafficking in illicit drugs and firearms tracing.

“Since the signing of our Memorandum of Understanding in 2014, our two organizations have closely co-operated and supported each other in a number of capacity building activities in addressing transnational crime,” said Secretary General Zannier.

“This Joint Action Plan will also provide the foundation for developing joint capacity-building projects, including the development of training materials and tools and the implementation of joint training courses. This will help us further strengthen our cooperation with INTERPOL and deepen our partnership,” he added.

INTERPOL Secretary General Stock welcomed the joint plan as the natural next step to reinforce the increased co-operation between the two organizations.

“Today’s threat landscape is increasingly complex, requiring a cohesive and effective global response. This INTERPOL-OSCE joint action plan will provide a more strategic and concrete blueprint for our activities which will benefit our member countries in terms of enhancing security,” said Secretary General Stock.

INTERPOL and OSCE currently work closely in exchanging information related to best practices in law enforcement training, with each organization providing the other with access to their online training portals – the INTERPOL Global Learning Centre and the OSCE Policing Online Information System, POLIS.