‘Advance safety for all’: International police cooperation helps tackle cross-border crime

As criminal networks increasingly exploit weak institutions and operate across borders, the UN says no police force can tackle them alone.

Each 7 September, the UN marks the International Day of Police Cooperation, recognising the importance of international cooperation in supporting national law enforcement agencies.

Organised crime is responsible for about 95,000 homicides each year, and about one-fifth of global intentional homicides are at the hands of organised criminal groups, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

“By working together across borders, law enforcement agencies can better support survivors, apprehend perpetrators, disrupt criminal networks and advance safety for all,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said.

For more than six decades, UN Police have worked alongside UN peacekeeping and special political missions in places where conflict has weakened the rule of law and eroded public trust in judicial institutions.

More than 7,700 UN Police personnel are authorised to serve across 14 peace operations worldwide, helping to protect civilians and human rights, strengthen national police services and support countries’ transitions from conflict to peace.

What is international police cooperation?

Modern crimes such as cybercrime, terrorism, fraud and human trafficking increasingly cross national borders.

Police forces are frequently limited by these borders, while criminals are not. International police cooperation allows law enforcement agencies to share information, coordinate investigations and respond to crimes that occur across jurisdictions.

One of the main platforms for that cooperation is the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), which connects police forces in 196 countries to share data on crimes and criminals, even as national police remain responsible for investigating crimes and enforcing domestic law.