Dubai: UAE’s Deputy Prime and Minister of Interior Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has vowed to continue his country’s support for its international partners in the ongoing war on terrorism in order to secure the world.
“Our government is always keen to develop cooperation with Interpol and international partners. We are working together with our partners to secure the world by promoting the organisation’s initiatives and projects. We will continue to work together, until we overcome terrorism and crimes,” Shaikh Saif uttered these words in his opening speech at the 78th Interpol General Assembly in Dubai on Sunday.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, opened the Interpol General Assembly conference at Madinat Jumeriah. Dubai is the first city in the region to hold this prestigious conference.
Present on the occasion were Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Dubai Crown Prince and the Chairman of the Executive Council.
Shaikh Saif reiterated that the UAE would always support it international partners in the war on terrorism.
He praised the Interpol’s efforts which helped identify nearly 40,000 terrorists and around 118,000 stolen vehicles worldwide last year. In child sex abuse sector, Interpol identified more than 5,600 offenders.
“The assembly aims to make the world a safer place by connecting police departments of countries around the world,” Shaikh noted.
Bringing together nearly 1,000 official representatives from 173 countries, including 85 police chiefs and nearly 40 ministers, the four-day conference will address how technology will change future threats and how it can be used by law enforcement to meet these challenges.
Kim Jong Yang, Interpol Senior Vice President, praised the UAE for hosting the international police cooperation’s largest event and affirmed that Interpol is set for the next course of its work in addressing transnational crime and terrorism.
“In the age of unprecedented information exchange, police the world over are increasingly facing new challenges. Gathering best practices with an international model, Interpol provides a neutral, well-connected platform,” Yang said.
Interpol’s Secretary General Jürgen Stock and Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Merri, Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police, said the delegates will identify the most important challenges, explore the future role of technology and Artificial Intelligence in the fight against terrorism and organised crime, and discuss enhancing cooperation to make the world a safer place.
“The UAE’s membership in Interpol is one of our most important working relationships. This year’s attendance is unprecedented, which is a reflection on the UAE’s ability to host major international events,” Maj Gen Al Merri said in a joint press conference ahead of the assembly.
The Interpol’s secretary general said, partnerships with regional bodies played an important role in developing a strong global security architecture.
“With increased pressure on law enforcement resources, we must avoid duplication of effort if we are to work effectively in making the world a safer place,” Stock said.
“We will discuss the complex terrorism and crime threats which affect us all, and to address future challenges. Interpol’s databases contain 93 million records and they are being checked up to 200 times per second.”
Between November 18 and 21, delegates will also be updated on Interpol’s three crime programmes: counter-terrorism, cybercrime and organised and emerging crime, as well as linked operational successes.
During the event, the Interpol General Assembly will also consider applications for membership from Kiribati, Kosovo and Vanuatu.
The voting will also be taking place for a new President along with Executive Committee posts for the Americas, Asia and European regions on the final day of the conference.