INTERPOL is the international policing organisation that facilitates worldwide police cooperation across 196 member countries — making it the second-largest international body by membership, behind only the United Nations. Founded in Vienna in 1923 and reformed under its current name in 1956, INTERPOL maintains the world's largest cross-border policing network and is the issuing authority for the international "Red Notice" wanted-person alerts.
At a glance
- Founded: 1923 (Founded as the International Criminal Police Commission at the International Criminal Police Congress in Vienna, 7 September 1923; reformed as the ICPO-INTERPOL in 1956)
- Headquarters: Lyon, France
- Official languages: English, French, Spanish, Arabic
- Website: www.interpol.int
Mission
INTERPOL's mission is to facilitate police cooperation across borders. It does not have its own officers or arrest powers — instead it operates a secure global communications network (I-24/7) and 19 specialist databases (fingerprints, DNA, stolen artworks, lost passports, etc.) accessible to police in member countries 24 hours a day. Article 3 of its constitution forbids the organisation from intervening in any "matters of a political, military, religious, or racial character".
Structure
The General Assembly of representatives from each member meets annually and is the supreme decision-making body. The Executive Committee provides oversight between Assemblies. The General Secretariat in Lyon, headed by the Secretary General, handles day-to-day operations. Each member country operates a National Central Bureau (NCB) that connects its national police to the INTERPOL network.
Member states
INTERPOL has 196 member countries — almost every sovereign state in the world. North Korea is the most notable non-member; the Vatican, Niue, and several other small states are also outside.
Key facts
- INTERPOL issues several types of "notices": Red (wanted for prosecution), Blue (information request), Green (warning about a person), Yellow (missing person), Black (unidentified body), Orange (warning), Purple (modi operandi), and the UN Security Council Special Notice (sanctioned individuals).
- Red Notices are not international arrest warrants — they are requests; whether to act on one is up to each country's national authorities.
- INTERPOL has been criticised for issuing Red Notices on behalf of authoritarian regimes pursuing political dissidents; reforms in 2015–2017 added review mechanisms but critics say abuse continues.
- Russia's access to INTERPOL was reviewed but not suspended after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine — the Article 3 prohibition on political matters created ambiguity about how to act.
- The Secretary General is by tradition a senior police official; the President is a more political role and rotates by region.
Historic milestones
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1923 | ICPC founded in Vienna by 20 countries |
| 1938 | Nazi Germany takes control after annexation of Austria |
| 1946 | Reorganised post-war with HQ in Paris |
| 1956 | Reformed as ICPO-INTERPOL with new constitution |
| 1989 | HQ moves to Lyon |
| 2017 | Notices reform programme strengthens review of politically-motivated requests |
