Interpol meet highlights Asia's pivotal role in global security

Tuesday, September 18, 2012
INTERPOL President Khoo Boon Hui underlining
Asia’s historical and pivotal leadership in sharing
expertise with the rest of the world 
Amman, Jordan: Senior law enforcement officials from Asia, the South Pacific and the Middle East are attending the 21st INTERPOL Asian Regional Conference to focus on building collective police responses and law enforcement capacity against crime threats as part of efforts to boost regional and international security.

With the theme ‘Innovative Action and Law Enforcement Cooperation in Asia for a Safer World,’ issues under consideration by 150 delegates from some 40 countries at the three-day conference (17-19 September) will include terrorism, cybercrime, human trafficking, integrity in sports, maritime piracy, trafficking in illicit goods, pharmaceutical crime and environmental security.

Speaking at the conference opening, the Director General of Jordan’s Public Security Directorate, General Hussein Hazza Majali, said: “Jordan is committed to the values and mission of INTERPOL which provides the vital link between Asia and the rest of the world. The security challenges facing countries in today’s world require cooperation and coordination between them to make them stronger.”

The Head of INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau in Amman, Brigadier Ibrahim Abu Shweima, said the conference would address a rapidly changing security landscape and emphasized ‘Jordan’s important role in training and capacity-building law enforcement in the region’.

INTERPOL President Khoo Boon Hui underlined Asia’s historical and pivotal leadership in developing and sharing knowledge and expertise with the rest of the world.

“With more than half of the world’s population residing in Asia, the region offers vast opportunities to entrepreneurial spirits and innovative minds. Unfortunately, this also applies to organized crime syndicates which see Asia as a fertile investment ground for illegal activities,” said Mr Khoo, pointing to online scams and other cybercrimes as examples of emerging major crime challenges in Asia today.

Mr Khoo said INTERPOL’s I-24/7 global police communication system and global tools and services were the critical links to police and law enforcers worldwide investigating international crime. And with the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) operational in Singapore by 2014, delegates heard that the IGCI will enhance the capacity of police officers to address cybercrime, tackle 21st century crime threats and strengthen international policing worldwide through innovation and capacity building.

“The borderless and global nature of the Internet requires us to adopt a pro-active, innovative and global approach against cybercrime. To stay ahead of modern-day criminals, the law enforcement community needs to have adequate resources, sufficient knowledge and well-developed partnerships with relevant stakeholders,” stressed the President of INTERPOL.

In this respect, the role of innovative action and transnational police cooperation in regional and international security will be the focus of a keynote address to be given later during the conference by Japan’s Minister of State and Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, Jin Matsubara.

With the links between trafficking in illicit goods and transnational organized crime a key item on the conference agenda, delegates will also hear that the role that the private sector and industry play in partnership with INTERPOL’s 190 member countries is an essential part of the global campaign to disrupt the activities of the criminal groups behind the manufacture and distribution of illicit goods in Asia and worldwide. A focal point for industry support is INTERPOL's Fund for a Safer World which will help the world police body develop a strong global programme against trafficking in illicit goods.
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