Objectives

1. To ensure that the police forces/services of each Member State of Interpol have high standards of honesty, integrity and ethical behaviour in and in connection with the performance of their policing functions.
   
   
2. To promote and strengthen the development by each Member State of Interpol of measures needed to prevent, detect, punish and eradicate corruption in the police forces/services within its national boundaries and to bring to justice police officers and other employees of police forces/services who are corrupt.

Definitions

Corruption:

1. The solicitation or acceptance, whether directly or indirectly, by a police officer or other employee of a police force/service of any money, article of value, gift, favour, promise, reward or advantage, whether for himself/herself or for any person, group or entity, in return for any act or omission already done or omitted or to be done or omitted in the future in or in connection with the performance of any function of or connected with policing.
   
   
2. The offering or granting, whether directly or indirectly, to a police officer or other employee of a police force/service of any money, article of value, gift, favour, promise, reward or advantage for the police officer or other employee or for any person, group or entity in return for any act or omission already done or omitted or to be done or omitted in the future in or in connection with the performance of any function of or connected with policing.
   
   
3. Any act or omission in the discharge of duties by a police officer or other employee of a police force/service which may improperly expose any person to a charge or conviction for a criminal offence or may improperly assist in a person not being charged with or being acquitted of a criminal offence.
   
   
4. The unauthorized dissemination of confidential or restricted police information whether for reward or otherwise.
   
   
5. Any act or omission in the discharge of duties by a police officer or other employee of a police force/service for the purpose of obtaining any money, article of value, gift, favour, promise, reward or advantage for himself/herself or any other person, group or entity.
   
   
6. Any act or omission which constitutes corruption under a law of the Member State.
   
   
7. Participation as a principal, co-principal, initiator, instigator, accomplice, accessory before the fact, accessory after the fact, conspirator or in any other manner in the commission or attempted commission of any act referred to in the preceding provisions of this Article.

Police force/service means each police force or police service or other official body with a responsibility to perform policing functions within the national boundaries of the Member State.

Principles

1. To make corruption within police forces/services a high-risk crime.
   
   
2. To promote and maintain a high standard of honesty, integrity and ethical behaviour within the police forces/services of each Member.
   
   
3. To foster the recruitment and training as police officers of persons of high levels of integrity, honesty, ethical standards and expertise.

Measures

4. Each member of the General Assembly commits to:

Standards of Conduct

4.1 Establishing and maintaining high standards of conduct for the honest, ethical and effective performance of policing functions.

4.1.1 Such standards should mandate and be directed towards an understanding and application of honest, ethical and appropriate behaviour, the avoidance of conflicts of interest, the proper use of public resources in and in connection with the fair and impartial application of the law, the performance of policing functions, the reporting of acts of corruption in and in connection with and the performance of policing functions and the establishment and strengthening of public confidence in police officers and police forces/services as part of the system of justice.

4.1.2 Such standards should accept that it is an obligation of the police force/service to seek out and effectively deal with corruption within the police force/service.

4.1.3 Such standards should impose an obligation on police officers and other employees of a police force/service to report to the appropriate person or authority acts or omissions, which constitute or may constitute corruption within the police force/service.

4.2 Setting up and maintaining effective mechanisms to oversee and enforce the high standards of conduct required in and in connection with the performance of policing functions;

Recruitment, posting, promotion and termination

4.3 Having and maintaining effective systems for the recruitment of police officers of high levels of integrity, honesty, ethical standards and expertise;

4.4 Ensuring that the systems for recruitment, posting, promotion and termination of police officers and other employees of the police forces/services are not arbitrary but are based on fairness, openness, ability and performance;

Training

4.5 Having a system for instructing police officers and others engaged in and in connection with the performance of policing function of the standards and ethical rules applicable to the performance of such functions;

4.6 Having and maintaining a system for the training, including on-going training, of police officers and other employees in the police forces/services which reinforces the high standards of conduct referred to in Article 4.1;

Corruption

4.7 Putting in place deterrents to the bribery of those performing or engaged in or in connection with the performance of policing functions;

4.8 Using their best endeavours to ensure that the mechanisms and systems for the prevention, detection, punishment and eradication of corruption in and in connection with the performance of policing functions in its police forces/services are kept abreast of current practice as recognised by the General Assembly of Interpol;

4.9 Having an effective system that obliges police officers and other employees of the police forces/services to report, enables them and members of civil society to report corruption and that protects those who report corruption in good faith;

4.10 Establishing mechanisms to encourage participation by civil society in activities and efforts to prevent corruption in the police forces/services;

4.11 Establishing and enforcing procedures for the declaration and registration of the income, assets and liabilities of those who perform policing functions and of appropriate members of their families;

Systems

4.12 Having and maintaining systems of revenue collection, money and property handling and for the control and preservation of evidence that ensure that those collecting or handling public money, dealing with evidence or handling property are accountable and that the systems are such as to deter corruption;

4.13 Having and maintaining systems for the procurement of goods and services that are based on openness, efficiency, equity and certainty of the rules to be applied and that seek the best value for money;

Monitoring

4.14 Establishing a mechanism such as an oversight body or bodies to monitor the systems and measures established for preventing, detecting, punishing and eradicating corruption within the police forces/services and the adequacy, application and effectiveness of such systems and measures;

4.15 Conferring or causing to be conferred on a designated authority, whether internal or external, such powers to carry out investigations and bring to justice without fear or favour, affection or ill will those who engage in corruption and dishonesty in the course of or associated with the carrying out of policing functions and adequately resourcing and funding such authority;

4.16 Providing for a system for the recruitment of officers for such designated authority who are of high integrity and that ensures that such officers are not disadvantaged by recruitment to any such designated authority;

4.17 Providing adequate safeguards to prevent abuse of powers by those engaged in the anti-corruption system and to minimise unnecessary infringements of individual rights;

Review, reporting and research

4.18 Requiring public reporting at least once each year of the work and findings in relation to the monitoring of the systems and measures referred to in Article 4.14 and their adequacy, application and effectiveness;

4.19 On-going research in relation to current best practice for the prevention, detection, punishment and eradication of corruption in and in connection with the performance of policing functions;

4.20 Reviewing at appropriate and regular intervals the measures and systems for the prevention, detection, punishment and eradication of corruption in and in connection with the performance of policing functions;

General

4.21 Making corruption by a police officer or other employee of a police force/service a serious criminal offence;

4.22 Having legislation enacted to allow the proceeds of corruption and related crimes to be forfeited;

4.23 Bringing into being or causing to be brought into being such legislative, administrative and other measures as may be necessary to prevent, detect, punish and eradicate corruption in the police forces/services;

4.24 Taking all practicable steps to ensure that the rates of remuneration for police officers and other employees of the police forces/services are such as to enable them and their families to maintain a reasonable standard of living without having to resort to other employment or to corruption;

General Assembly

4.25 Reporting at least once each two years, or at such shorter intervals as the General Assembly may resolve, on the measures taken and the mechanisms and systems in place to implement the standards set out in this protocol and the effectiveness of such mechanisms, systems and measures;

4.26 Permitting the monitoring by, and co-operating with, such person or persons as may be appointed by the Secretary General for the purpose of monitoring the mechanisms, systems and measures in place in relation to its police forces/services to achieve the objective and meet the standards referred to in this protocol and the effectiveness of such mechanisms, systems and measures.