Interpol - General Assembly 73rd Session - Cancún, 5 - 8 October 2004

The ICPO-Interpol General Assembly, meeting in Cancún from 5 to 8 October 2004 at its 73rd session:

BEARING IN MIND Articles 2 and 41 of Interpol's Constitution, and the limitations of Article 3,

RECOGNIZING that genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity are crimes which are condemned by the whole international community,

NOTING the necessity of enhanced international co-operation and concerted global co-ordination in the investigation and prosecution of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity,

MINDFUL of the differing national laws and policies concerning the appropriate international institutions for preventing, investigating, and prosecuting genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity,

RECALLING Resolution AGN/63/RES/9 - 'Application of Article 3 of the Constitution in the context of serious violations of international humanitarian law' (Co-operation with the Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia), adopted in Rome, 1994,

ALSO RECALLING Resolution AGN/66/RES/5 - 'Co-operation with the United Nations', adopted in New Delhi, 1997,

ALSO RECALLING Resolution AGN/66/RES/10 - 'Co-operation in searching for persons accused of serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in Rwanda and neighbouring countries between 1st October 1990 and 31st December 1994', adopted in New Delhi, 1997,

ALSO RECALLING Resolution AG-2002-RES-10 - 'Memorandum of understanding with UNMIK', adopted in Yaoundé, 2002,

ALSO RECALLING Resolution AG-2003-RES-08 - 'Co-operation agreement with the Special Court for Sierra Leone', adopted in Benidorm, 2003,

COGNIZANT of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1503 (2003) calling 'on all States to co-operate with the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO-Interpol) in apprehending and transferring persons indicted by the ICTY and the ICTR',

AWARE that many countries have established specialized units for the purpose of investigating and prosecuting these offences both within and outside of their borders,

CONVINCED that success in the fight against these crimes, and in bringing the perpetrators of these crimes to justice, will not be achieved without international co-operation,

RECOMMENDS that, within the limits of national and international law, ICPO-Interpol member countries co-operate with each other and with international organizations, international criminal tribunals, and non-governmental organizations as appropriate in a joint effort to prevent genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, and to investigate and prosecute those suspected of committing these crimes;

ASKS the General Secretariat to assist member countries in the investigation and prosecution of these crimes; and

ASKS the Secretary General to bring the present resolution to the attention of the appropriate United Nations authorities and other international organizations.

Adopted.