Brazil's candidate to head Interpol says time for non-Western leader

In an interview with Reuters, Valdecy Urquiza, Brazil’s candidate to head the international police agency, Interpol, emphasized the need for diversification within the organization by electing a new leader from a developing nation. Urquiza, who currently serves as Brazil’s Federal Police Director for International Cooperation, believes that this move will help Interpol strengthen global cooperation to combat transnational crime as crime becomes increasingly globalized.

Having been led for the last 100 years by men from just four developed nations in Europe and the United States, Interpol is in need of increased diversity in order to ensure its credibility and legitimacy. Urquiza pointed out the risk of the organization losing credibility and legitimacy if it isolates itself, emphasizing the need for plurality and inclusion of all countries and regions.

Interpol’s executive committee is set to elect a new secretary general on Feb. 13 for a five-year term, succeeding the current head, Juergen Stock of Germany. The four candidates include Stephen Kavanagh from Britain, Mubita Nawa from Zambia, and Faisal Shahkar of Pakistan. The selected candidate will then be put to Interpol’s General Assembly in November for confirmation.

Interpol, headquartered in Lyon, France, is the world’s largest police coordination body with 196 member countries, networking police forces from around the world. In recent years, Russia has faced criticism for abusing Interpol tools, such as its “red notice” system, to get political opponents arrested abroad, following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Valdecy Urquiza, who is currently one of Interpol’s three vice-presidents, emphasized Brazil’s neutrality as an advantage, stating that Interpol cannot be used for geopolitical ends. He described Brazil as a reliable partner and emphasized the importance of the secretary general coming from a neutral country.

It is evident that Urquiza’s proposed appointment is aimed at ensuring that Interpol remains a neutral and inclusive organization, given the current challenges facing the global law enforcement environment. As the election of the new secretary general approaches, it will be crucial to monitor the potential impact this leadership change may have on the organization’s future operations.

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Ricardo Brito; Editing by Ros Russell)