International Day of Police Cooperation 2023: Date, History and Significance

The International Day of Police Cooperation is a United Nations observance held annually on September 7. It was created to commemorate the founding of Interpol and highlight the role of law enforcement from around the globe in maintaining peace, security, and justice. For most of human history, cooperation among law enforcement in different countries was organized largely on a case to case basis. The world’s first initiative for international law enforcement cooperation was the Police Union of German States, established in 1851. It brought together secret police forces from various German-speaking countries.

History of International Day of Police Cooperation

The United Nations General Assembly designated September 7 as the International Day of Police Cooperation during its 77th session in December 2022. The inaugural celebration took place on September 7, 2023, coinciding with the 100th founding anniversary of Interpol. It focused on the crucial role of women in policing.

Significance of International Day of Police Cooperation

The main goal of the International Day of Police Cooperation is to highlight the central role that the world’s law enforcement community plays in global security, as well as the importance of international coordination between police and law enforcement institutions in preventing and combating criminal activity.

Events and activities held on the occasion focus on strengthening international cooperation at various levels (global, regional and subregional) in areas related to preventing and combating transnational crime, and preventing and countering terrorism. They are also meant to reinforce collaboration between the United Nations and Interpol in key areas such as global health, financial crime and corruption, cybercrime, emerging technologies, and maritime security.

About Interpol

During World War II, most member states left the International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC) because it was controlled by Nazi Germany. When the war ended, the ICPC was revived as the International Criminal Police Organization and established new headquarters in Paris. It adopted a new constitution and a short name, Interpol, in 1956. Interpol’s headquarters were subsequently moved to Saint-Cloud in 1967 and to Lyon in 1989.

Today, Interpol is the world’s leading international police organization with 195 member states. However, it is not the only organization facilitating international police cooperation. For example, its European counterpart, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), was established in 1998. It coordinates cooperation between law enforcement agencies in the European Union.

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