International Day of Police Cooperation Date in the current year: September 7, 2024

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.

The importance of formalizing international police cooperation became clear in the early 20th century, as international travel and commerce became more extensive, facilitating fugitives of the law and transnational criminal enterprises. The International Criminal Police Congress that was held in Monaco in 1914 laid out twelve principles of international police cooperation which helped to lay the foundation of Interpol.

In 1923, Vienna Chief of Police Johannes Schrober convened another International Criminal Police Congress. Twenty-two delegates from various European countries, Egypt, and Japan agreed to found the International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC), the predecessor of Interpol. Originally situated in Vienna, its headquarters were moved to Berlin after the Anschluss.

During World War II, most member states left the 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.

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.

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.