The flag of the International Criminal Police Organization is the banner of the worldwide police-cooperation body founded in Vienna in 1923. The emblem combining globe, scales, and olive branches was adopted in 1950 and has been the organisation's visual identity ever since, surviving two reorganisations (1956, 1989) without redesign.
The design
The Flag of INTERPOL is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 2:3, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses light blue, white, gold, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Light blue | light blue | A nationally significant colour for this flag — see the symbolism section below for the country-specific meaning. |
| White | white | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Gold | gold | Stands in for sunlight, mineral wealth or sovereign authority. |
| Source | Official flag law | The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions. |
Symbolism & heraldry
A light blue field bearing the INTERPOL emblem: a globe (representing international scope) overlaid with the scales of justice, flanked by olive branches (peace), and surmounted by a sword behind the whole. The four olive branches symbolise the four corners of the earth; the sword represents police authority. The acronym INTERPOL appears below.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of INTERPOL — bands, charges, emblems or stars — each carry meaning agreed at the moment of the flag’s adoption. Re-readings happen across generations: a colour or a symbol that began with one meaning often picks up further layers as the country’s history unfolds.
Adoption & history
The current flag was adopted in 1950. It is credited to INTERPOL Headquarters. Earlier banners flown by reflected the politics of their day; each redesign typically marked a moment of independence, regime change or constitutional reform. The current flag was chosen, debated and codified through the country’s official channels and is now protected by flag law.
Etiquette & protocol
The Flag of INTERPOL should be flown with respect: never allowed to touch the ground, never used as drapery for ceremonies it was not made for, and lowered or removed at sundown unless illuminated. When flown alongside other national flags, it takes precedence on home soil and is hoisted first and lowered last. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in line with directives from the head of state. These conventions are common to most nations and are usually written into the flag’s founding statute.
Specifications
| Field | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Country | — | |
| Continent | International | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1950 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 2:3 | height : length |
| Colours | light blue, white, gold | — |
| Designer | INTERPOL Headquarters | — |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
INTERPOL's constitution explicitly forbids the organisation from intervening in matters of a "political, military, religious, or racial character" — Article 3, the limit that defines what work is and is not within the remit of the police behind the badge.
About the organisation
INTERPOL was founded in 1923. Its headquarters are in Lyon, France.
