Rwanda National Police will host the 84th Interpol Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Kigali between 2nd and 5th November, 2015.
The event will bring together over 1000 delegates that include heads and representatives of law enforcement institutions and agencies from 190 member countries including Chiefs of Police, prosecutors, heads of regional and international police organisations, partners in policing and senior government officials, among others to discuss a range of policing and security issues.
The conference will be gathered around the theme: “INTERPOL 2020: Policing Global Threats in a Dynamic Environment,”
According to an official statement from RNP, discussions at this year’s AGM will address some of the most pressing cross-border challenges faced by police today. These include terrorism and foreign terrorist fighters, the organized criminal groups behind drug trafficking, people smuggling, and the different facets of cybercrime.
Rwanda voted to host 84th Interpol AGM
During the 82nd Interpol General Assembly held in Cartagena De Indias, Colombia from 21-24 October 2013, Rwanda was unanimously voted to host the 84th AGM.
Rwanda was later during the 83rd AGM in Monaco in 2014, handed the Interpol flag as a symbol of the next host.
RNP’s participation on the international scene
Rwanda National Police was created in the year 2000, and for the last 15 years of its dedicated service, RNP over the years has participated in peace keeping operations and served at various Interpol offices.
For instance RNP started its peacekeeping operations in 2005 and has contributed personnel in Haiti, Chad, Mali, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Darfur, Abyei, and Central African Republic.
It has also signed MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) with police institutions in the Eastern Africa region and beyond, including Police forces of Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Turkey and Qatar.
This partnership has been vital in responding to cross-border and transnational crimes, joint operation and training and apprehension of fugitives including those wanted for their role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, among others.
Since 2009 RNP has handled over 36 cases of human trafficking involving 153 victims, including 51 Bangladeshi nationals intercepted in Kigali in 2009 en route to Mozambique.
In 2014 alone, RNP recorded 19 cases of human trafficking involving 25 victims; 26 suspected traffickers were apprehended thanks to partnership with police forces in the region.
Over the past four years, RNP intercepted over 20 foreign registered vehicles that had been stolen from Japan, UK and the Netherlands and majority from Kenya that were either in transit or sold in Rwanda.
Drug traffickers and hard drugs, stolen vehicles, forged documents and counterfeit money, illicit goods and fake pharmaceuticals, among others, have also been detected and intercepted in Rwanda.
How was Interpol created?
Following the first 1914 meeting held in Monaco in which officers, lawyers and magistrates gathered to discuss challenges of arrest procedures identification techniques, centralized international criminal records and extradition proceedings, Interpol was born.
Interpol, is the world’s largest police organization with 190 member countries. It marked 100 years of existence in 2014.
With its General Secretariat located in Lyon, France, Interpol facilitates cross border police cooperation, supports and assists all organizations, authorities and services, whose mission is to prevent or combat crime.
Rwanda applied for Interpol membership in 1973 and was affiliated along with Honduras and Qatar during the 43rd Interpol General Assembly held in Cannes, France.
Along with previous prestigious conferences hosted by Rwanda, the 84th Interpol AGM is expected to boost the country’s image of a secure country with conducive atmosphere for international conferences, tourism and investment opportunities. Reads part of the statement. 
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