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The 43rd European Regional Conference of Interpol started in Bucharest
Romania has proved its firm commitment to police cooperation, Secretary General of the Interpol international police organisation Jurgen Stock said in his opening speech on Tuesday to the 43rd European Regional Conference of the organisation held in Bucharest.
Romania is itself facing the security challenges from around the world, said Stock, adding that faced with such threats, Romania has proved its firm commitment to police cooperation by an efficient use of the instruments made available by Interpol in order to protect not just the Romanian nationals, but also the citizens elsewhere in Europe and in the entire world.
According to him, Romania in 2014 accessed the Interpol database for more than 19 million times, ranking 5th in the European Union, 10th in Europe and 17th among all the Interpol member states in terms of usage.
Because of such continuing support as the one provided by Romania, said Stock, Interpol is a robust global organisation fighting against crime. Terror and organised trans-frontier crime are global issues that require developed global solutions in line with the guidelines and expertise of a global and string layer, he said. He added that Interpol has the necessary potential to play this part and will continue to make sure law enforcement is a priority in the world.
According to him, the world is facing multiple threats against international security, as well as cybercrime and illegal migration.
The experience acquired by Interpol, said Stock, shows that the only way of fighting against these threats and annihilate criminal organisations is to create a strong global law enforcement network. The United Nations Organisation, he added, estimates that nearly 20,000 foreign combatants from nearly 100 countries travelled to conflict areas using Europe as a corridor, and particularly using stolen passports. Consequently, the Interpol official said, all nations have to strengthen their border security procedures.
Stock also said that by extending access to the Interpol database of stolen and lost documents at the major crossing points, representatives of the Romanian Border Police will be able to scan the passports of incoming or transiting the country in order to check if an individual uses a lost or stolen identity document.
Romania, he said, ranks 30 in the world in terms of usages of the database. Interpol provides police assistance to all its 190 member states for rapid and efficient interaction. The Interpol databases, he added, as well as its notification system and other tools encourage exchanges of information among the member states. Such exchanges are vital for successfully countering all forms of crime, Stock concluded.