‘Improving safety for all’: International police cooperation helps tackle cross-border crime

Every September 7, the UN commemorates International Day of Police Cooperationrecognizes the importance of international cooperation in supporting national law enforcement agencies.

Organized crime is responsible for around 95,000 murders each year, and around a fifth of intentional murders globally are committed by organized criminal groups, according to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

“By working together across borders, law enforcement agencies can provide better support to survivors, catch perpetrators, disrupt criminal networks, and improve safety for everyone.,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.

For more than six decades, UN Police own working alongside UN special peacekeeping and political missions in places where conflict has undermined the rule of law and erodes public trust in judicial institutions.

More than 7,700 UN Police personnel are authorized to serve in 14 peace operations around the worldhelp protect civilians and human rights, strengthen national police services and support countries’ transition from conflict to peace.

What is meant by international police cooperation?

Modern crimes such as cybercrime, terrorism, fraud and human trafficking increasingly cross national borders.

Police forces are often constrained by these boundaries, while criminals are not. International police cooperation allows law enforcement agencies to share information, coordinate investigations, and respond to crimes occurring across jurisdictions.

One of the main platforms for such cooperation is the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), which connects police forces in 196 countries to share data on crime and criminalsalthough the national police remain responsible for investigating crimes and enforcing domestic laws.

Alongside INTERPOL, the UN is also working with regional police organizations and national authorities to strengthen the ability of police forces to operate across borders.

The UN Police does not function as a global police force and generally does not make arrests or replace national law enforcement. Instead, officers protect civilians, advise and train the national police, and help rebuild law enforcement institutions.

“The UN Police plays an important role in supporting Member States to strengthen police institutions that are effective, accountable and responsive to the needs of all communities,” said Deputy Secretary General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

UNODC, meanwhile, provides technical assistance to countries seeking to prevent and prosecute organized crime, human trafficking, corruption and other transnational crimes.

The UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Policing helps coordinate policing-related work across UN entities, encouraging a coherent approach and helping to avoid overlap.

For example, cooperation between the police in Ivory Coast and Switzerland is coordinated through INTERPOL, help uncover phishing operations who defrauded Swiss victims of more than $1.4 million.

Build trust and legitimacy

These partnerships are becoming increasingly important as conflict, displacement and other crises create new opportunities for criminal networks to exploit vulnerable groups.

But UN officials say that effective policing also depends on people’s trust in the institutions meant to protect them.

The theme for this year’s International Day of Police Cooperation is Protecting against Vulnerability – Building Trust and Legitimacy in Policingemphasizes the importance of trust and legitimacy in police work.

“At a time when trust in public institutions is under pressure in many parts of the world, police agencies face a dual responsibility: protecting the public from harm and demonstrating fairness, accountability and transparency in the exercise of their authority,” Lacroix said.

Marginalized communities often bear the brunt of lawlessness and exploitation. In the Central African Republic (CAR), for example, The UN police have been working closely with the national police to strengthen their capacity to investigate human trafficking and other forms of transnational organized crime.

In one example, a UN police officer named Gladys Nkehfrom Cameroon, helped a raped 13-year-old girl receive medical treatment and helped authorities capture her attacker. The girl finally named her child Gladys after the officer.

For UN officials, effective police cooperation ultimately depends on earning the trust of the communities officers serve, especially those most vulnerable to crime and abuse.

Acting Deputy Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism Alexandre Zouev said professional, accountable and trustworthy police agencies are best positioned to build the trust the public needs to assist with investigations and deal with serious crimes.

“By recognizing the different security experiences and concerns of women, men, girls and boys, law enforcement can better serve all members of society,” said Mr. Zouev.