In the series Sansad TV Perspective, we bring you an analysis of the discussion featured on the insightful programme ‘Perspective’ on Sansad TV, on various important topics affecting India and also the world. This analysis will help you immensely for the IAS exam, especially the mains exam, where a well-rounded understanding of topics is a prerequisite for writing answers that fetch good marks.
In this article, we feature the discussion on the topic: Secure World, Global Responsibility
Anchor – Teena Jha
Participants:
- Karnal Singh, Former Chief, Enforcement Directorate
- Maj. Gen. Ashwani Kumar Siwach (Retd.), Strategic Expert
- Ashok Sajjanhar, Former Ambassador
Context:
The 90th Interpol General Assembly recently took place in New Delhi, India.
Details
- The General Assembly is the apex governing body of Interpol that meets every year to discuss its functioning.
- The latest annual meet took place in India after about 25 years.
- The General Assembly was attended by delegates from about 195 Interpol member countries which include ministers, police chiefs and the heads of National Central Bureaus (NCBs).
- The agenda for the 90th Interpol General Assembly was the challenges in front of Interpol and the need for international cooperation on threats that are not local, but global.
Interpol
- The International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol was set up in 1923 by 19 countries in the wake of an urgent need to facilitate cooperation between police across borders.
- Interpol plays a key role in the global security architecture, establishing stability, offering neutrality and inspiring trust in a fast-changing world.
- Interpol at present has about 195 countries as its members.
- Each of the member countries hosts an Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) which is regarded as the “heart of Interpol ” as they help connect their national law enforcement with other member countries.
- Interpol has its headquarters in Lyon, France.
- Interpol has remained the only organisation in the world with the mandate and technical infrastructure to share police information globally.
Read more about – Interpol
What does Interpol do?
- Interpol is a global organisation that provides a platform for cooperation between the police forces of various member countries even between countries that do not have existing diplomatic relations.
- Interpol also manages databases with information on crimes and criminals which are accessible in real-time to member countries.
- Interpol lends investigative and training support such as forensics, analysis, and assistance in locating fugitives around the world.
- Interpol also plays a key role in combating crimes across three global areas namely terrorism, cybercrime and organized crime which pose a significant threat in the current era.
Image Source: www.interpol.int
Key challenges to global security
- At present countries across the world are facing unprecedented complexity in the criminal threat landscape.
- Major crime threats in the current era are cybercrime, cross-border terrorism, drug trafficking and women and child sexual abuse.
- In recent years, terrorism is not only spreading in physical space but has started spreading its presence through online radicalisation and cyber threats.
- Criminals across the world have started taking advantage of the increasing digital and online connectedness and are targeting the weaknesses in these online infrastructures which are causing massive economic and social threats.
- Financial crimes such as corruption and money laundering threaten people in every aspect of their lives across the world.
- The money from such sources has often been pushed into terror funding, and drug and human life trafficking which are destroying young and weakening democracies.
- Further, the emergence of modern and advanced technologies and their misuse have made it difficult for nations across the world to combat these potent threats.
India at the 90th Interpol General Assembly
- The Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi called for increased global cooperation to counter the threats of terrorism, corruption, drug trafficking, poaching and organised crimes.
- The Prime Minister at the latest meeting said that it is important to ensure that there are no safe havens across the world for the perpetrators of organised crimes such as terrorism and drug trafficking.
- He reiterated that “Global cooperation for local welfare – is our call”.
- The PM further added that making the world a safer place is a shared responsibility.
Way forward
- Against the backdrop of increasing global threats and their potential consequences, it is important that there is close collaboration between global security organisations such as the Interpol, United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
- It is important that these security organisations reposition their strategies in line with the realities of the current century and the latest advancements.
- There is still no agreement among the UN Member States regarding a universal legal definition of the term “Terrorism”.
- In this context, India must push for the establishment of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) which was proposed by India in 1996.
- CCIT calls for a universal definition of terrorism that all 193 members of the UNGA will adopt into their own criminal law.
- Further, CCIT provides a legal framework that makes it binding on all signatories to deny funds and safe havens to terrorist groups.
- In the wake of the surging threat of cyber crimes, there is an urgent need for formulating international strategies, setting up early detection and warning systems, safeguarding transportation services, and protecting communication infrastructure and critical infrastructure by enhancing technological cooperation and intelligence exchange.
- Interpol, which will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2023, must look to integrate technological advancements to turn potential future threats into operational opportunities.
Conclusion
- At a time when geopolitical tensions are increasing at an all-time high rate which is causing multiple crises across the globe and increasing division in global geopolitics, it has become extremely crucial to strengthen international cooperation to tackle major criminal threats to the world.
- Threats such as terrorism, drug trafficking, corruption and organised crime have become global and hence the response actions against them cannot just be local but global.
- In this context, key security organisations such as Interpol, UNSC and FATF must take up the lead role as ensuring a safe and secure world is a shared responsibility.
Read all the previous Sansad TV Perspective articles in the link.
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