Mutual exchange, global benefit
The 16th Interpol Symposium on International Terrorism held in Lyon, France, on October 22 and 23, was attended by one Senior Superintendent and two Superintendents representing the Force.
Over 100 representatives from law enforcement agencies worldwide, as well as representatives from the aviation industry, attended the two-day symposium during which 30 speakers made presentations on the worldwide terrorism scene.
As the first international forum for law enforcement agencies to share their experiences and information on international terrorism following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, much of the discussion focused on what had been uncovered through investigations conducted by various law enforcement agencies in the aftermath of the attacks.
Immediately after the September 11 attacks, Interpol Headquarters established the Public Safety & Terrorism Sub-Directorate, which operates round the clock to process information and intelligence fed into the Interpol network.
During the symposium one particularly important area, which Interpol proposed to pursue, related to the use of stolen or lost travel and identity documents by terrorists, as well as organised crime gangs. It was proposed that a database be established at Interpol to provide faster responses to enquiries made by members.
The Chairman of the symposium also invited participants to express their views on:
* What can be done to increase police cooperation in the fight against terrorism?
* How can we better deal with black market financial support for terrorism and criminal activities?
* Regarding Interpol - what can be done to further improve the exchange of information between Interpol and member states?
The symposium was viewed as useful and productive. Both the discussions and exchange of information served to further enhance the knowledge base regarding international terrorism while also reinforcing the ForceÕs pledge that Hong Kong will remain a safe and secure city.
SSP PR Alan Fan and Mainland delegates