Interpol - General Assembly 75th Interpol General Assembly - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 19 - 22 September 2006

The ICPO-Interpol General Assembly, meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 19 to 22 September 2006 at its 75th session:

HAVING IN MIND the existing co-operation between the United Nations and Interpol and the following resolutions:

• the United Nations Resolution 51/1 of 15 October 1996,
  
  
• Interpol Resolutions, AGN/64/RES/11, AGN/65/RES/14 calling for the promotion of co-operation between the two Organizations,
  
  
• Interpol Resolution AGN/66/RES/5, approving the Co-operation Agreement with the United Nations,
  
  
• the United Nations Resolution 1617 (2005) requesting increased co-operation between the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1267 (1999) (the '1267 Committee');
  
  
• Interpol Resolution AG-2005-RES-05 approving that Interpol’s General Secretariat devises ways to increase co-operation with the United Nations in the fight against terrorist acts by Al Qaeda and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities,

HAVING ALSO IN MIND the co-operation agreement of 8 July 1997 between the United Nations and Interpol, and the exchange of letters of 8 December 2005 and 5 January 2006 supplementing the agreement, and concerning the assistance to be provided to the UN Security Council 1267 Committee in carrying out its mandate regarding the freezing of assets, travels ban and arms embargoes, and inter alia, the creation of the Interpol-United Nations Security Council Special Notices,

WELCOMING Security Council Resolution 1699 (2006) which provides that co-operation between United Nations and Interpol could also benefit the other sanctions committees established by the Security Council (the 'Committees'),

TAKING NOTE that the said Resolution encourages Member States to use the tools offered by Interpol, particularly the I-24/7 global police communications system, to reinforce the implementation of such measures and similar measures that may be adopted by the Security Council in the future,

TAKING NOTE that the said Security Council resolution requests the Secretary-General of the United Nations to take the necessary steps to increase co-operation between the United Nations and Interpol in order to provide the Committees with better tools, to fulfil their mandates more effectively, and to give Member States better optional tools to implement those measures adopted by the Security Council and monitored by the Committees, as well as similar measures that may be adopted by the Security Council in the future, particularly the freezing of assets, travel bans, and arms embargoes,

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that Security Council sanctions measures are often implemented under national law, including criminal law where applicable, and that enhanced co-operation between the United Nations and Interpol would enhance States’ enforcement of those laws,

KEEPING IN MIND that the primary function of the General Secretariat is to serve as a centre of information for law enforcement authorities worldwide, and that it is therefore incumbent upon the General Secretariat to ensure that law enforcement authorities worldwide are made aware of sanctions regimes, which include travel bans, freezing of assets, and arms embargoes, whenever they are adopted by the United Nations, and that the Organization’s global secured police communication system, its notices, and the various databases together provide a unique global system available that could be used in order to ensure that police and other law enforcement authorities stay informed and alerted,

KEEPING IN MIND the obligation of the Organization to observe its independence and neutrality,

ACTING under Article 41 of the Constitution:

APPROVES that the General Secretariat design the most efficient ways for the Organization to support, when possible and consistent with the independence and neutrality of the Organization, the co-operation between the United Nations and Interpol in order to provide the Committees of the United Nations Security Council with better tools to fulfil their mandates more effectively;

AUTHORIZES the Secretary General to enter into special arrangement(s), when justified and necessary, pursuant to Article 9 of the 1997 Co-operation Agreement between the United Nations and ICPO-Interpol and reach understanding with the United Nations on the contents, the procedures, as well as - to the extent necessary - the resources necessary in order to support the said enhanced co-operation,

And further ASKSthe Secretary General to submit a report to the next session of the General Assembly for its consideration.

Adopted.