LYON, France – Senior police officers and security experts from around the Americas region will gather in Bogota, Colombia from 25-27 September for the 19th INTERPOL Americas Regional Conference.

High on the agenda will be expansion of access to INTERPOL’s databases beyond the National Central Bureaus and crime areas such as drugs smuggling, human trafficking and combating counterfeiting.

The conference opening at 10am on 25 September will be open to accredited media. It is expected that President Álvaro Uribe Vélez will deliver the opening address.

A press conference is planned for immediately after the opening ceremony at which INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble and President Uribe will be present.

The remainder of the conference is closed to the media, but informal press briefings with some of the police and experts in attendance are planned, and requests from journalists for interviews will be considered. A final press release will also be issued at the end of proceedings.

Simultaneous translations of press conferences and public sessions will be available in English, French and Spanish.

Journalists wishing to cover the conference are advised to apply immediately for accreditation by submitting the following information to Oscar Galvis Cañas, Jefe Oficina Asesora de Divulgación y Prensa DAS, tel: +57 1 408 83 23, mobile +57 3 11 876 4102, email ogalvis@das.gov.co

• The name of their media organisation
• Family name and forenames of attending journalists
• Nationality, date of birth and place of residence

Journalists must bring their press credentials and identification documents when they arrive at the conference desk for registration. The conference will take place at Hotel Casa Dann Carlton, Street 94 # 19-71 Bogota.