90TH INTERPOL GENERAL

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 90th Interpol General Assembly in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
• Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister extended a warm welcome to all the dignitaries on the occasion of the 90th Interpol General Assembly in New Delhi.
• The Prime Minister highlighted that India is celebrating 75 years of its independence which is a celebration of people and cultures.
• The Prime Minister also informed that Interpol will be celebrating 100 years of its inception in the year 2023.
• He remarked that it is a time for retrospection as well as a time to decide the future. Shri Modi further added that it is a great time to rejoice and reflect, learn from setbacks and look to the future with hope.
• The Prime Minister highlighted the connection of Interpol philosophy with Indian culture and underlined the similarity between the INTERPOL’s motto of ‘Connecting Police with a Safer World’ with quote from the Vedas stating “Aano Bhadra KrtavoYantuVishwatah” i.e. let noble thoughts come from all directions, which, he elaborated that it is a call for universal cooperation to make the world a better place.
• Remarking on the unique global outlook of India, the Prime Minister highlighted that India is one of the top contributors in sending brave men and women to the United Nations Peacekeeping operations.
• Talking about Covid vaccines and climate targets, the Prime Minister informed that India has shown a willingness to take the lead in any kind of crisis.
• At a time when nations and societies are becoming inward-looking, India calls for more international cooperation. Global cooperation for local welfare is our call
• The Prime Minister further added that police forces across the world are not just protecting people, but are furthering social welfare.
• They are at the frontline of society’s response to any crisis
• The Prime Minister underlined the geographical and cultural diversity of India and talked about its size and vastness of India
• “Indian Police”, he said “at the federal and state levels,  cooperate to implement more than 900 national and around ten thousand state laws.
• “Our police forces work while respecting the diversity and rights of the people promised by the Constitution.
• They not only protect the people but also serve our democracy
• . Speaking about the achievements of Interpol, the Prime Minister remarked that Interpol has connected police organizations globally across 195 countries for the past 99 years, and to mark the glorious occasion, the Government of India is releasing a commemorative stamp and coin.
• The Prime Minister reminded about many emerging harmful globalized threats that the world faces such as terrorism, corruption, drug trafficking, poaching and organised crime.
• The pace of change of these dangers is faster than earlier. When threats are global, the response cannot be just local! It is high time that the world comes together to defeat these threats.

Background

The 90th General Assembly of Interpol is being held from the 18th to the 21st of October. The meeting is being attended by delegations from 195 Interpol member countries comprising ministers, police chiefs of countries, heads of national central bureaus and senior police officers. The General Assembly is Interpol’s supreme governing body and meets once a year to take key decisions related to its functioning.

The Interpol General Assembly meeting is taking place in India after a gap of about 25 years – it was last held in 1997. India’s proposal to host the Interpol’s General Assembly in 2022 at New Delhi coinciding with celebrations for the 75th year of India’s independence was accepted by the General Assembly with an overwhelming majority. The event provides an opportunity to showcase best practices in India’s law and order system to the entire world.

SOURCE: THE HINDU, THE ECONOMIC TIMES, PIB