BALI GEARS UP FOR INTERPOL GENERAL ASSEMBLY by Fardah

Jakarta, Sept 21, 2016 (Antara) - Indonesian Police Chief General Tito Karnavian has reviewed preparations for the 85th General of International Police (Interpol) to be held in Bali, November 7-10, 2016.

        Being able to host an Interpol general assembly is an honor and a very rare opportunity that might not come twice in a century, given the number of Interpol members, including 190 countries, said the general.    
     The Interpol general assembly is believed to be the second largest international gathering, after the UN General Assembly in New York.

         More than one thousand delegates representing 190 countries will participate in the meeting.

         The Indonesian police will pull out all stops to ensure the success of the General Assembly. It will take actions to assure the security of all delegates and international government officials attending the event.

          "Indonesia is the second country, after China, with the largest police force, comprising 430,000," he noted.

           During the inspection, the general was accompanied by Head of the National Police International Relations Division, Inspector General Ketut Untung Yoga, along with Bali Provincial Police Chief Inspector General Sugeng Priyanto.

           After conducting the field inspection, Karnavian chaired a closed-door meeting to discuss technical preparations for the international meeting. Several immigration and other officers also attended.

           Counter-terrorism measures will be one of the main topics to be discussed during the meeting.   
      "There will be a special panel (on the issue of counter-terrorism) and I will be there as one of the speakers," said Karnavian, a former Chief of the National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BPTN).

          Besides terrorism, the issue of international crimes will also be addressed during the General Assembly. Further, international crimes will be discussed, such as illegal drugs, cybercrime, fraud and illegal fishing.

         Head of the Police Headquarters International Relations, Ketut Untung Yoga, underlined that various stakeholders will cooperate to put in place proper counter-terrorism measures and enforce the law in case of international crimes.

          Being the world's largest international police organization, Interpol has a vision, as stated, of "Connecting police for a safer world", while its mission is described as, "Preventing and fighting crime through enhanced cooperation and innovation on police and security matters".    
     Being the world¿s largest international police organization, Interpol has a vision of  "Connecting police for a safer world", while its mission is "Preventing and fighting crime through enhanced cooperation and innovation on police and security matters".

           Interpol's General Secretariat is located in Lyon, France, and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

         The grouping also has seven regional offices across the world and a representative office at the United Nations in New York and at the European Union in Brussels. Each of its member countries maintains a National Central Bureau staffed by its own highly trained law enforcement officials.

          Its role is to enable police around the world to work together to make the world a safer place. Its high-tech infrastructure of technical and operational support helps meet the growing challenges of fighting crime in the 21st century.

          The 84th General Assembly of Interpol was held in Kigali, Rwanda, in November 2015. In the final day, delegates endorsed a new road map for the Organization¿s future development to better support its member countries in combating transnational crime and terrorism.

          With the Interpol 2020 review of the Organization¿s environment, strategy, priorities and activities receiving unanimous backing from delegates, the grouping will work with member countries to define and develop a clear set of outcomes for strengthening its policing capabilities supported by strong governance mechanisms, according to a statement posted on the Interpol website (www.interpol.int).

         President of Interpol Mireille Ballestrazzi told delegates their continued support was essential to transform the resolutions adopted during the General Assembly into concrete action.

         "Interpol 2020 provides the fundamental pillar for the evolution of the Organization, and I encourage all member countries to contribute towards this initiative which will help build the Interpol of the future," said President Ballestrazzi.

          Secretary General of Interpol Jürgen Stock said to remain effective in addressing current and emerging security threats, it was essential to strengthen all areas of the Organization¿s activities, both internal and external.

         "If Interpol is to remain at the forefront of  global policing efforts, it is essential that our systems are robust and responsive to the challenges we will face in the future," he said.

           Interpol 2020 will provide the strategic framework to ensure the Organization remains a strong and respected voice in global security matters, he added.

          Following the 85th session of the General Assembly in 2016 in Indonesia, China is scheduled to host the 86th session in 2017. ***2***
(f001/INE)
EDITED BY INE
(T.F001/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 21-09-2016 12: