Toledo hosts European Interpol Conference with 50 countries and 170 million criminal records
The 53rd European Regional Interpol Conference brings together police officials from around 50 countries in Toledo to combat organised crime, cybercrime and human trafficking.
Toledo, venue of Interpol's European police summit
Toledo is hosting the 53rd European Regional Interpol Conference from this Wednesday onwards, a gathering that brings together police officials and security experts from around 50 countries, according to ABC. Over two days, the Hotel Eurostars Palacio Buenavista is the setting for strategic debates on drug trafficking, cybercrime, human trafficking and child sexual abuse online.
The opening was presided over by Secretary of State for Security Aina Calvo Sastre, alongside Interpol president Lucas Philippe and the organisation's secretary general Valdecy Urquiza. Also attending were the Director General of Police Francisco Pardo and the Government delegate for Castilla-La Mancha José Pablo Sabrido. The closing session, scheduled for Thursday, will be chaired by Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
Spain among the safest countries in the world, according to Calvo
In her address, Calvo Sastre asserted that Spain is "among the safest countries in the world" and linked this position to a commitment to multilateral police cooperation. "Public safety can only be guaranteed through full and decisive international cooperation," she said before the assembled delegates.
The Secretary of State also took advantage of the city's historical symbolism to underscore the value of dialogue between nations. "Toledo is living proof that understanding is not a utopia if we know how to build it step by step," she said, referring to the tradition of coexistence between cultures that characterises the Castilla-La Mancha capital.
Interpol warns of Europe "at a crossroads"
Interpol president Lucas Philippe warned that Europe finds itself "in a crossroads position" facing increasingly globalised and sophisticated criminal threats. Philippe stressed the need to "understand each other better to act together" and highlighted that the organisation comprises more than 25 million police officers worldwide.
Among the results already achieved through shared databases between countries, Philippe cited the identification of more than 40,000 victims of child sexual abuse, a figure that illustrates the practical dimension of international cooperation.
170 million records and an agreement in progress with the EU
Secretary General Urquiza warned of the growth in drug trafficking routes connecting Latin America with European ports. "Global threats require well-coordinated police action," he said to the delegates.
Urquiza emphasised Interpol's technological modernisation: the organisation's information systems already hold more than 170 million criminal records shared among its 196 member countries. He also announced progress in the cooperation agreement that Interpol is finalising with the European Union to strengthen coordination with Europol and Frontex, the main European agencies for security and border control.
Work agenda: organised crime, fraud and borders
The conference sessions address the main security challenges currently affecting Europe. The list includes transnational organised crime, cybercrime, child sexual abuse online, human trafficking, online fraud and new networks linked to drug trafficking.
Also featured in the programme is discussion of information exchange at borders, criminal identification tools and the improvement of cooperation systems between police forces of different countries.
A century of collaboration between Spain and Interpol
The conference coincides with the centenary of collaboration between Spain and Interpol, which began in 1926. During this period, international cooperation has been decisive in high-impact operations, including the arrest in Madrid of former Venezuelan military officer Hugo 'el Pollo' Carvajal, the extradition of fugitive Carlos García Juliá and the location in Serbia of one of those involved in the 11-M attacks.
Toledo, at the centre of the international security map
Over these two days, delegations from Europe, the Americas, Africa and Oceania are sharing bilateral meetings and coordination spaces in Toledo. The holding of the summit has a direct institutional and economic impact for the regional capital, with hotels and services linked to conference tourism operating at full capacity.
Source: ABC