The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) is the world’s largest international police organization, with a membership of 192 countries. Like any other organization, it has a constitution and rules.
The constitution and rules provide the framework for Interpol’s activities and ensure that there is a smooth flow. They also provide a platform for the rights and duties of all members and a commitment to the highest standards of professionalism, independence, impartiality, and integrity.
What the Constitution Constitutes
The Constitution of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) is a document that sets out the rules and regulations of the organization. Its content includes:
- Aims and objectives
- Membership
- Administration
- Powers and responsibilities
- Financing and other guidelines
Besides, the Interpol Constitution is pretty short—just 29 articles that outline how the organization should function. The most important parts of the constitution are:
- Article 1: This states that the primary mission of Interpol is to “promote international police cooperation.”
- Articles 6, 7, 8, and 9 are all about how the Secretary-General is selected and removed from office, as well as what powers they have within the organization.
- Article 10: This outlines how member countries can propose new approaches for dealing with transnational crime, including terrorism and organized crime.
The Rules of Procedure for Member Countries were also established by an International Congress held in Budapest in 1993 (RPC). They outline how countries should handle reports of missing persons or stolen property, and how they should respond to requests from other countries for legal assistance with criminal investigations or prosecutions (Rule 4). It also touches on official channels to use when challenging red notices.
The constitution also states that member countries must follow their national laws when working with Interpol. However, they must also respect international laws related to human rights and humanitarian issues while doing so.
For example: ” All INTERPOL activities are guided by its fundamental mission: ‘all criminal police forces maintaining a close cooperation to facilitate international police action against crime’.”
If your country gets listed for a warrant of arrest, you can check https://interpollawfirm.com/interpol-red-notice-removal/ to know more about what it entails,and avoid going against the organization’s law.
The Interpol Rules
Interpol’s constitution and rules are the guiding principles of the organization. They are the basis for all their activities, including their work to combat crime and terrorism.
The rulebook gets updated every few years to keep up with technological advancements, public expectations, and issues that arise within the organization.
The rules are divided into four sections: general provisions, judicial procedures; police activities; internal organizational matters; and miscellaneous matters.
- General provisions include how Interpol should be governed as an international organization and what kind of powers it has. It also defines who can become a member state (any country that is not a member state cannot).
- Judicial procedures cover everything from how cases are handled through the courts to how sentences are carried out when convicted criminals get caught by Interpol officers (or vice versa).
- Police activities cover what kind of powers individual officers have when carrying out investigations on behalf of their home countries—and whether or not those powers can be used outside those countries’ borders if necessary (they can).
- Internal Organizational Matters include information about elections, staffing needs, budgeting procedures, etc., along with other general guidelines for running an international policing.
The rules govern how Interpol functions, including provisions for membership, extradition procedures, cooperation agreements with member states, and other organizations like the interpollawfirm.com.
It also allows arrest warrants, international search warrants and notices (such as “Red Notices”), international alerts (such as “Blue Notices”), mutual legal assistance requests, and many more.
Aims of the Constitution
The constitution and rules aim to promote a cordial working relationship between the member states. According to Article 2b (aims), they include:
- To facilitate international police cooperation;
- To provide for the international exchange of criminal records and related information;
- To promote the adoption of international instruments to facilitate the prevention and suppression of international crime; and
- To encourage international cooperation in criminal matters.
- To encourage the widest possible development of international criminal police cooperation.
Takeaway
The Interpol constitution and rules are essential for the organization because they define what Interpol is and how it operates. Interpol aims to facilitate international police cooperation, develop methods for ensuring international police cooperation and promote the prevention of international crime.
