As the 87th Interpol General Assembly convened from 18-21 November, Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) Commissioner Tsan-po Tsai urged the country’s participation in the organisation. To achieve Interpol’s key aims, such as ensuring and promoting the widest possible mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities, Taiwan must be included, the CIB Commissioner stated. He stressed that Taiwan has earned widespread acclaim for its public security, with the country ranked at 34th out of 163 in the 2018 Global Peace Index and named by Forbes in a 2016 online report as the best place in the world for expats to live. In order to preserve its public security in a world increasingly challenged by cyber crime and terrorism, Taiwan must cooperate with worldwide law enforcement agencies, Commissioner Tsai added.
The Commissioner also pointed out that Taiwan’s exclusion from Interpol has created a gap in intelligence sharing and a loophole for criminal activity. Citing the Interpol Constitution, he argued that no resolution or arrangements made by the organisation should override the aim of strengthening police cooperation and the prohibition of political interference. The Commissioner highlighted Taiwan’s significant contributions to combating cross-border crime, including the country’s cooperation with Thai and Philippine police forces to crack down on economic crime and drug trafficking. Global security and social justice should transcend regional, ethnic and political differences, the Taiwan official stressed. He concluded by urging support for Taiwan’s participation as an observer in Interpol.