Interpol postpones general assembly for the first time ever due to COVID
The Covid-19 pandemic has compelled the International Criminal Police Organization, i.e. Interpol, to postpone its 89th General Assembly for the first time in history. The meeting was scheduled to be held in United Arab Emirates (UAE) in December.
The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled the International Criminal Police Organization, i.e. Interpol, to postpone its 89th general assembly for the first time in history. The meeting was scheduled to be held in United Arab Emirates (UAE) in December.
“Due to legal, technical and logistical reasons, there is currently also no viable option for a virtual general assembly,” Interpol said in a statement.
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The Interpol is an international organisation that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime control.
The 194-member organisation was to discuss cooperation on terrorism, organised crimes and criminal networks among other aspects of policing.
The Interpol’s executive committee took the decision to indefinitely postpone the General Assembly this year considering the worldwide COVID cases and deaths.
Jürgen Stock, secretary-general, Interpol, said: “The UAE authorities worked extremely hard to identify solutions to the problems presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, it is not possible for the meeting to go ahead as planned.”
Stock said that despite the postponement of the meeting, “the daily work of supporting our 194-member countries combat all forms of transnational crime and terrorism remains unaffected.”
The postponement of general assembly this year means that besides the budget, which exceptionally can be approved by the executive committee, all other statutory items would remain pending until the next session, the Interpol said.
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The unprecedented situation arising out of the pandemic also implies that elections for the executive committee and the Commission for the Control (CCC) of Interpol’s files will be put on hold. The CCC is a key exercise to decide the cases of red notices after analysing the presentations made by fugitives.
Any accused, who has fled his homeland, can petition Interpol on grounds of being targeted for political and religious reasons.
India is scheduled to host the 91st general assembly of Interpol in 2022.
