Q: The election of Interpol's president takes place in Istanbul tomorrow, where two candidates are running for office: Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi, from the United Arab Emirates, who is accused of torture by British complainants and an NGO representing a political opponent currently being detained, and ?árka Havránková, from the Czech Republic, who is Vice-President of Interpol's European division. Can you tell us whether the EU member countries have consulted one another to determine a common course of action when the voting takes place?
A: In accordance with the organization's statutes, the election is held by secret ballot.
The powers of Interpol's president are strictly governed by the Executive Committee, of which 12 of the 13 members will also be up for re-election during the General Assembly. Those who are elected will be responsible, among other things, for monitoring the action of the organization's leaders.
France remains heavily involved, as part of the work under way at Interpol, in strengthening the organization's governance and transparency. It is essential to ensure that Interpol's tools, in particular the red notices and the database of lost and stolen documents, are not used for political ends.