Date: December 15, 2023

To: INTERPOL’s General Assembly

From: Morgan McBride, delegate from the United States
Subject: Necessary Reforms for Countering the Effects of Globalization

Executive Summary
As an intergovernmental organization with 196 member countries, this body is
responsible for providing an easily accessible venue for member countries to share and access
data on crimes and criminals operating in the international market. INTERPOL provides a
cooperative network of policing and law enforcement to support its member countries, which has
grown increasingly essential as crimes have become more global in scope. Coordinating with
nations regardless of existing diplomatic relations productively occurs via INTERPOL’s system
to combat the burgeoning intricate array of criminal activities. The organization’s actions, in
principle, remain neutral; however, some gaps in its institutional framework have weakened
INTERPOL’s ability to act as a neutral international organization.
As current INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock stated in 2023, “We
[INTERPOL] are here to connect the dots on crime.”1 Stock went on to mention that a critical
component of INTERPOL’s success stems from the fact that it does not take over the activities of
national law enforcement but instead supports them.2 Nevertheless, the organization struggles to
confront emerging facets of criminal activity like new technologies and navigate abuses of
INTERPOL resources by member countries. With our upcoming presentation at the United
Nations “Emerging Forms of World Order and the Future of the UN” event, we must examine
our ongoing role within the global world order.

Background
Initially beginning after World War One, The Police President of Vienna, Dr. Johann
Schober, assembled delegates from twenty countries who ultimately developed the International
Criminal Police Commission.3 The Commission seized to function in 1938 when the Nazi Party
destroyed all of the organization’s records.4 However, the organization resurfaced in the postwar
period after World War Two due to increased crime rates. Theft increased due to a shortage of
goods, national boundaries changed, leading to refugees and displaced persons entering the
criminal market, and a general increase in violence amplified the need for the re-emergence of
INTERPOL.5 Over the past hundred years, cooperative policing efforts amounted to seizures of
illicit goods, arrests of wanted persons, and freezing of assets, amongst other successes.6

1
Jürgen Stock, “Secretary General Stock Op-Ed: We Should Set the Record Straight on Interpol and Its Red Notice
System,” Secretary General Stock Op-ed: We should set the record straight on INTERPOL and its Red Notice
system, May 9, 2023,
https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2023/Opinion-editorial-by-Secretary-General-Juergen-Stock#:~:
text=In%20fact%2C%20part%20of%20the,rather%20support%20and%20augment%20them.
2
Jürgen Stock, “Secretary General Stock Op-Ed: We Should Set the Record Straight on Interpol and Its Red Notice
System.”
3
R. L. Jackson, “Interpol,” The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles 34, no. 1 (1961): 7–12,
https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258x6103400102.
4
R. L. Jackson, “Interpol,” 8.
5
R. L. Jackson, “Interpol,” 8.
6
INTERPOL, rep., INTERPOL Annual Report 2022 (Lyon, France: INTERPOL, 2022).
 As the only international police organization, INTERPOL uniquely promotes collective
action efforts to prevent and suppress transnational crime.7 INTERPOL does not have the
authority to arrest in any country or jurisdiction, so its primary focus revolves around the sharing
of valuable information in the criminal investigation process.8 The primary strength of the
organization centers around its usage of the workforce, skill, and local knowledge of all the
forces belonging to it.9 Run by the Secretary-General, the organization encompasses a staff of
police and civilians in its Lyon, France headquarters and other offices worldwide.10 An
INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) serves as each member country’s liaison with other
NCBs and the General Secretariat, which handles the day-to-day operations of INTERPOL.11
Additionally, the General Assembly is the organization's governing body that unites all member
countries annually to make decisions for the following year of INTERPOL operations.12 Each
facet of its organizational structure aims to facilitate efficient collaborations between numerous
countries to effect change in the international crime space.
INTERPOL coordinates networks of police and experts with varying crime-related
expertise, mainly through offering investigative support like forensics, analysis, and fugitive
locating tools.13 The organization’s telecommunications team navigates millions of messages
annually in INTERPOL’s four languages of operations: Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.14
Beginning in 1992, an automatic search mechanism gave NCBs the tool to search an extensive
database of information shared amongst every INTERPOL member.15 Jürgen Stock stated,
“Today, our 19 global databases contain some 125 million records, which are searched on
average 200 times per second.”16 National Central Bureaus can also request that “red notices”
call for the arrest and extradition of specific individuals, which are based on warrants issued by
the member countries.17 The organization also utilizes other “colored” notices: yellow to help
locate missing people, blue to collect information on illicit activities or someone’s identity, black
to request information for identifying a body, green to alert other agencies about criminals who
might commit crimes in different countries, and orange to warn law enforcement agencies about
bombs and other weapons circulating abroad.18 The core functions of INTERPOL provide an
arsenal of tools for diminishing crime in the global landscape.
INTERPOL primarily focuses on tackling international crimes of terrorism, cybercrime,
organized crime, financial crime, and corruption.19 As the criminal field is constantly evolving, a
core component of the organization prioritizes researching and developing strategies for crime

7
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopædia. “Interpol.” Encyclopedia Britannica, December 12, 2023.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Interpol.
8
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopædia. “Interpol.”
9
R. L. Jackson, “Interpol,” 7.
10
“What Is Interpol?” INTERPOL. Accessed December 15, 2023.
https://www.interpol.int/en/Who-we-are/What-is-INTERPOL
11
“What Is Interpol?” INTERPOL.
12
“What Is Interpol?” INTERPOL.
13
“What Is Interpol?” INTERPOL.
14
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopædia. “Interpol.”
15
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopædia. “Interpol.”
16
Jürgen Stock, “Secretary General Stock Op-Ed: We Should Set the Record Straight on Interpol and Its Red Notice
System.”
17
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopædia. “Interpol.”
18
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopædia. “Interpol.”
19
“What Is Interpol?” INTERPOL.
trends persisting worldwide.20 INTERPOL’s 2022 Global Crime Trend Report cited that most
member countries determine money laundering and financial fraud as a relatively consistent
‘high’ or ‘very high’ level threat. The multilateral cooperation of INTERPOL is especially
needed when faced with the often-clandestine threat of organized crime as complex, mafia-style
criminal networks increasingly infiltrate legal economies and corrupt state institutions.21 The
organization’s breadth aims to accommodate and better understand the diversified motivations
and rationales for such crime trends. According to R.L. Jackson, there are three subcategories of
international criminals: one that operates in multiple countries, one whose crimes affect other
countries without necessarily traveling there, and one that commits crimes in their home nation
before fleeing abroad.22 INTERPOL aims to increase a country’s ability to quickly and
effectively solve criminal cases within its borders with the help of internationally circulated
resources.
INTERPOL, the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the Permanent Court of
Arbitration are the only international law enforcement agencies, yet other organizations
collaborate in the global fight against crime. For starters, INTERPOL’s collaborations with
various entities of the United Nations highlight the intended efforts to share resources and
knowledge surrounding criminal activity. Its work with the United Nations Office of Drugs and
Crime (UNODC) ensures that the actions of both international crime-focused organizations
efficiently respond to the needs of its member countries. The UNODC primarily assists countries
with their legislative and judicial needs through research and technical assistance, whereas
INTERPOL focuses more on operational approaches towards law enforcement, like information
exchanges and police capacity building.23 Sharing responsibilities and resources allows all
organizations to operate more effectively with a broader scope of valuable information.

Challenges Faced
INTERPOL’s capacity to provide mutual assistance for hundreds of law enforcement
initiatives globally is hindered by weaknesses within the organization’s structure. Concerns over
inefficiencies within the organization, its ability to handle new challenges, and the politicization
of its resources all factor into the future challenges that INTERPOL must overcome.

Emerging Crimes Based on Emerging Technologies

Cybercrime is inherently an international crime since any digital click can seamlessly
shift the crime’s jurisdiction from one country to another. It creates an expansive economic and
social impact on governments, businesses, and individuals everywhere.24 INTERPOL currently
facilitates law enforcement operations, data securing platforms, analysis, and additional training
efforts to reduce ongoing cyber threats.25 Its Cyber Fusion Center fosters collaboration between
cyber experts who gather and analyze information surrounding cyberspace to develop valuable

20
“What Is Interpol?” INTERPOL.
21
INTERPOL, rep., 2022 INTERPOL Global Crime Trend Summary Report (Lyon, France: INTERPOL, 2022).
22
R. L. Jackson, “Interpol,” 7.
23
INTERPOL. “Cooperation with United Nations Entities.” INTERPOL. Accessed December 15, 2023.
https://www.interpol.int/en/Our-partners/International-organization-partners/INTERPOL-and-the-United-Nations/Co
operation-with-United-Nations-entities#:~:text=INTERPOL%20and%20the%20United%20Nations,as%20cybercri
me%2C%20and%20environmental%20security.
24
INTERPOL, “Cybercrime,” INTERPOL, accessed December 15, 2023,
https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Cybercrime.
25
INTERPOL, “Cybercrime.”
intelligence, like cryptojacking, compromised websites, and cyber surges.26 To combat the
emerging criminal landscape in the metaverse, INTERPOL has built a virtual reality space where
individuals and agencies can train themselves on the new technology.27 As cybersecurity has
emerged as a new policing avenue, INTERPOL develops new mechanisms for understanding the
rapidly increasing birth of new technologies that can be utilized for criminal activity.
The lack of a clear definition of the metaverse further complicates INTERPOL’s ability to
police it. Yet, it will be a realm requiring some level of policing, especially since reporting of
verbal and sexual harassment within virtual reality games has already surfaced.28 INTERPOL’s
executive director of technology and innovation, Dr. Madan Oberoi, elucidated that defining
criminal activity or threats in the metaverse is critical and that informing law enforcement
personnel about the spaces is a significant start.29 In the 2022 INTERPOL Global Crime Trend
Report, online child sexual exploitation and abuse is expected to increase in the future, according
to 62 percent of the member countries.30 A strong understanding of the technologies perpetuating
such crimes becomes essential in any effort to investigate or halt the criminal activity happening
in the digital space.

Weaponization of Red Notices

Across the board, the number of red notices requested by member countries increased
from 1,200 in 2000 alone to almost 12,000 in 2020.31 Member governments, especially those of
authoritarian regimes, have used INTERPOL’s systems to pursue dissidents and political exiles
living outside of their country.32 Freedom House, the US rights organization, presented valuable
data showing that Russia is responsible for 38% of all public red notices.33 One of the more
straightforward methods for adding misleading arrest requests into the red notice system meant
accusing people of financial crimes in which warrants necessitated less concrete evidence, which
allowed countries to circumvent INTERPOL’s protocols lightly.34 Alternatively, the usage of
diffusions enables member countries to send arrest warrants directly to each other, which entirely
avoids INTERPOL’s supervision.35 Such a weaponization of its functions potentially threatens
the trust and effectiveness of the organization. For instance, Tajikistan, which comprises roughly
0.12% of the global population, has issued 2,528 red notices (2.3% of those in circulation),
including one against a leader of the government’s main opposition party, Muhiddin Kabiri.36
The stark overuse of red notices within one country clearly highlights the weaponization of such

26
INTERPOL, “Cybercrime.”
27
Marc Cieslak and Tom Gerken, “Interpol Working out How to Police the Metaverse,” BBC News, February 4,
2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-64501726.
28
Marc Cieslak and Tom Gerken, “Interpol Working out How to Police the Metaverse.”
29
Marc Cieslak and Tom Gerken, “Interpol Working out How to Police the Metaverse.”
30
INTERPOL, rep., 2022 INTERPOL Global Crime Trend Summary Report.
31
Josh Jacobs, “Has Interpol Become the Long Arm of Oppressive Regimes?,” The Guardian, October 17, 2021,
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/oct/17/has-interpol-become-the-long-arm-of-oppressive-reg
imes.
32
Libby McVeigh and Alex Tinsley, “Is Interpol Vulnerable to Political Abuse?,” Open Society Foundations,
January 20, 2015, https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/interpol-vulnerable-political-abuse.
33
Josh Jacobs, “Has Interpol Become the Long Arm of Oppressive Regimes?”
34
Josh Jacobs, “Has Interpol Become the Long Arm of Oppressive Regimes?”
35
Josh Jacobs, “Has Interpol Become the Long Arm of Oppressive Regimes?”
36
Edward Lemon, “Weaponizing Interpol,” Journal of Democracy 30, no. 2 (2019): 15–29,
https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2019.0019.
tools. Although the countries that misuse INTERPOL’s functions are the perpetrators,
INTERPOL should be able to withstand such abuses.37
Secretary General Jürgen Stock has emphasized that “Contrary to popular belief, a red
notice is not an international arrest warrant.”38 Yet such a distinction isn’t blatantly apparent in
implementing red notices worldwide. While some countries perceive red notices as an alert
system to use at their discretion, others treat them as direct arrest warrants.39 Individuals,
humanitarian organizations, and some countries have expressed concerns regarding INTERPOL’s
tendency to believe that its members use the available resources based on principles of good faith
and altruism.40 Lawyers additionally cite difficulties surrounding the length of time it takes for
individuals to get their non-compliant red notices wiped from the system.41 On an individual
level, those put on the red notice list have no clear trajectory for countering the action.42 Thus,
red notices have become tools at the disposal of more authoritarian regimes within the
INTERPOL network, with very little oversight response.
Since his appointment in 2014, Stock has worked with the Commission for the Control of
INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) to strengthen the specialist squad that reviews red notice requests to
ensure the validity of the information.43 Criticisms have been expressed that the CCF lacks the
funding, staffing, and human rights expertise necessary for its intended role.44 In 2018, the
commission determined that 48 percent of the 346 complaints it received failed to comply with
INTERPOL’s parameters for red notices.45 Such a sizeable non-compliance rate poses concerning
questions about the accuracy of the red notice system. Some argue that INTERPOL prioritizes
member countries' ease of publishing notices rather than guaranteeing a successful vetting
process.46 Overall, a bolstering of INTERPOL’s core facets should focus on reforming the red
notice system to maintain its effectiveness while preventing its further use as a forceful tool.

Policy Recommendations
1. Partnering with Public and Private Partners for Cybercrime Initiatives
Expanding INTERPOL’s network of collaborations with entities researching, developing,
and investigating in the cybercrime space should span to include both public and private
partners in the conversation. A primary focus of these future cybercrime efforts should center
around more distinctly defining cybercrimes so that investigations of criminal offenses can
occur in the digital space. The lack of information and clarity around digital technology's role
in crime hampers the ability of law enforcement to enact any degree of effective change. In
partnership with other related entities, working to formulate a more distinct criminal and
legal understanding of cybercrime persists as a prevailing starting point for incorporating
cybercrime in INTERPOL's successful operations in the future.

37
Libby McVeigh and Alex Tinsley, “Is Interpol Vulnerable to Political Abuse?”
38
Jürgen Stock, “Secretary General Stock Op-Ed: We Should Set the Record Straight on Interpol and Its Red Notice
System.”
39
Josh Jacobs, “Has Interpol Become the Long Arm of Oppressive Regimes?”
40
Josh Jacobs, “Has Interpol Become the Long Arm of Oppressive Regimes?”
41
Josh Jacobs, “Has Interpol Become the Long Arm of Oppressive Regimes?”
42
Libby McVeigh and Alex Tinsley, “Is Interpol Vulnerable to Political Abuse?”
43
Josh Jacobs, “Has Interpol Become the Long Arm of Oppressive Regimes?”
44
Libby McVeigh and Alex Tinsley, “Is Interpol Vulnerable to Political Abuse?”
45
Josh Jacobs, “Has Interpol Become the Long Arm of Oppressive Regimes?”
46
Libby McVeigh and Alex Tinsley, “Is Interpol Vulnerable to Political Abuse?”
 2. Clarifying the Role & Protocols for Red Notices
Although performing the balancing act of catching criminals while mitigating abuses of
the system creates a complex request, it is necessary for the longevity of INTERPOL. Within
the current framework, authoritarian regimes do not need to prosecute their red-notice
subjects successfully. The mere submission of the notice creates the intended damage for the
dissident or exiled individuals on its own. So, the reform of red notices needs to be initiated
at the beginning of the process since the potential harm starts at the early stage of red notice
implementation. A clear step forward involves an increased efficiency of INTERPOL’s
oversight protocols so that innocent people do not unnecessarily spend weeks or months in
jail waiting for their notice to be overturned. Rebuilding the Commission for the Control of
INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) to enhance the due process of the red notice system would allow
operations to continue as is, with added protective measures for improper uses of the system.
Furthermore, clearly outlining the roles of red notices could construct a more unified
understanding of what a red notice means from a law enforcement perspective. In this,
INTERPOL should specify whether its member countries should interpret red notices as a
notification or as a signal to arrest or detain an individual. Limiting such an expansive
mechanism's ambiguity legitimizes red notices to individuals and member countries. Also, as
of now, fairly limited repercussions exist for nations that abuse the red notice system, so
clearly, constructing a set of punishments for such behavior further enforces the proper
handling of red notice operations.

Conclusion
Through various policy implementations, INTERPOL’s overall goal should center around
enhancing its organizational structure to make progress. In its position to circumvent emerging
diplomatic or political conflicts, INTERPOL’s unique role as an independent, neutral body
allows it to affect international crime prevention in non-allied countries significantly. If the
necessary reforms are implemented, INTERPOL can augment its unique role in filling the gaps
of other organizations that cannot fully exemplify the role of the global police institution.
Modeled after Woodrow Wilson, INTERPOL aims to make the world safe for the victims and
potential victims of crime, which requires an enhanced organizational focus on international
cooperation and efficiency.

Word Count: 2,681 words

 Works Cited

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https://www.interpol.int/en/Our-partners/International-organization-partners/INTERPOL-a
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INTERPOL. “Cybercrime.” INTERPOL. Accessed December 15, 2023.
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INTERPOL. Rep. INTERPOL Annual Report 2022. Lyon, France: INTERPOL, 2022.
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ng-arm-of-oppressive-regimes.
Lemon, Edward. “Weaponizing Interpol.” Journal of Democracy 30, no. 2 (2019): 15–29.
https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2019.0019.
McVeigh, Libby, and Alex Tinsley. “Is Interpol Vulnerable to Political Abuse?” Open Society
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and Its Red Notice System.” Secretary General Stock Op-ed: We should set the record
straight on INTERPOL and its Red Notice system, May 9, 2023.
https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2023/Opinion-editorial-by-Secretary-
General-Juergen-Stock#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20part%20of%20the,rather%20support%
20and%20augment%20them.
“What Is Interpol?” INTERPOL. Accessed December 15, 2023.
https://www.interpol.int/en/Who-we-are/What-is-INTERPOL.