The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) is an inter-governmental organization.
We have 194 member countries, and we help police in all of them to work together to make the world a safer place.
To do this, we enable them to share and access data on crimes and criminals, and we offer a range of technical and operational support.
Today’s crimes are increasingly international. It is crucial that there is coordination among all the different players in maintaining a global security architecture.
Since INTERPOL is a global organization, it can provide this platform for cooperation; we enable police to work directly with their counterparts, even between countries which do not have diplomatic relations.
We also provide a voice for police on the world stage, engaging with governments at the highest level to encourage this cooperation and use of our services.
All our actions are politically neutral and taken within the limits of existing laws in different countries.
Who makes up INTERPOL?
The General Secretariat coordinates our day-to-day activities to fight a range of crimes. Run by the Secretary General, it is staffed by both police and civilians and comprises a headquarters in Lyon, a global complex for innovation in Singapore and several satellite offices in different regions.
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 General Assembly is our governing body and it brings all countries together once a year to take decisions.
