CCPAC 'Comité des Chefs de Police de l'Afrique Centrale'  CCPAO 'Comité des Chefs de Police de l'Afrique de l'Ouest'  EAPCCO 'Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation'  SARPCCO 'Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation'

Regional activities > Africa > Committees of chiefs of police in Africa
SARPCCO
'Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation'

	History
	Relationship between ICPO-Interpol and SARPCCO
	The mission and Objectives of SARPCCO
	Activities
	Membership of SARPCCO
	Principles of co-operation
	Co-operation
	Consultative structure of SARPCCO
	Conclusion
	Resolution
	Reference/Acknowledgement

History

  At a meeting held at Mananga Management Centre, in Swaziland, 23 September 1994, by Senior Police Executives, certain resolutions were adopted namely: To continue the action of the former Front Line Chiefs of Police Co-operation, and that this organisation body be known as the Southern African Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (SARPCCO)'.

On the 8th -12 May 1995, during the Harare Regional Police Workshop, delegates considered the Swaziland resolution and made recommendations on the establishment of appropriate regional consultative structures and funding thereof.

In the same year and on the 31st July 1995 - 1st August 1995 at Victoria Falls, the Southern Africa Regional Police Chiefs held a follow up conference. During this meeting they finally adopted the Swaziland resolutions and decided to put it before the Ministerial Meeting on the establishment of the ICPO-Interpol Sub-Regional Bureau for Southern Africa, and also on SARPCCO.

The Ministers adopted these recommendations during the Ministerial Meeting on the 2nd August 1995 at the Elephant Hotel Victoria Falls. Zimbabwe.

The Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe offered to finance the construction of premises to house the Sub-Regional Bureau.

On the 5-8 November 1997 at Escom Conference Centre, Pretoria South Africa, the first official SARPCCO, Workshop was held. On the 5-6 February 1996 and at Escom Conference centre the first Heads of C.I.D. (SARPCCO) was held.

The ICPO-Interpol Sub Regional Bureau started functioning on the 3rd February 1997. The Secretariat of SARPCCO started functioning on the 17th February 1997.

His Excellency officially opened the Bureau, which is situated on the 4th Floor, Greenbridge, Eastgate Shopping Centre, Harare, Zimbabwe, on 1st October 1997 the President Robert Mugabe.

Relationship between ICPO-Interpol and SARPCCO

All member countries have one NCB-Interpol office within its national borders.

The official languages of ICPO-Interpol are English, French, Arabic and Spanish.

SARPCCO is an International Independent Police Organisation in Southern Africa. Membership is by means of voting and the payment of annual membership fees.

The National Central Bureau-Interpol offices in SARPCCO Member Countries are utilized as liaison offices for SARPCCO. The official languages of SARPCCO are English and Portuguese.

Both organisations are crime oriented, ICPO-Interpol and SARPCCO.

In order to prevent duplication of work, the gathering and dissemination of intelligence, waste of energy, the Governments of SARPCCO Member Countries entered into an agreement with ICPO-Interpol where upon ICPO-Interpol will accommodate and administrate the Secretariat of SARPCCO. (This means that a SARPCCO Member Country has to pay two financial contributions.)

In terms of agreements and resolutions adopted, the Interpol Sub-Regional Bureau in Harare for Southern Africa is also the designated Secretariat for SARPCCO.

SARPCCO has thus become part of Interpol, however it retains its sovereignty. The opposite is not necessarily the truth.

The Chiefs of Police of SARPCCO Member Countries enjoy a direct input into the activities of the Sub-Regional Bureau in Harare as a result of the designation. The combination of the Interpol Sub-Regional Bureau and the Secretariat of SARPCCO gives the Bureau an advantage over other Sub-Regional Bureaux in the world.

The Secretariat of SARPCCO and the Sub-Regional Bureau are occupying, utilizing the same offices, equipment etc. this also implies that all the rules, regulations of ICPO-Interpol and resolutions adopted, are applicable to the Secretariat of SARPCCO.

Referring to policies, the Secretariat of SARPCCO would like to draw your attention to the policy document on Service Standards', (e.g. time limit for responses).

The Secretariat of SARPCCO and the Interpol Sub Regional Bureau Harare thus function as one, by complimenting one another but also as two independent organisations under one roof with one director.

The mission and objectives of SARPCCO

The objectives of SARPCCO in accordance with its Constitution are subject to the provisions of domestic laws and they include the following:

1. To promote, strengthen and perpetuate co-operation and foster joint strategies for the management of all forms of cross border and related crimes with regional implications.
   
   
2. To prepare and disseminate relevant information on criminal activities as may be necessary to benefit members to contain crime in the region.
   
   
3. To carry out regular reviews of joint crime management strategies in view of changing national and regional needs and priorities.
   
   
4. To ensure efficient operation and management of criminal records and efficient joint monitoring of cross-border crime taking full advantage of the relevant facilities available through Interpol.
   
   
5. To make relevant recommendations to governments of member countries in relation to matters affecting effective policing in the Southern African region.
   
   
6. To formulate systematic regional training policies and strategies taking into account the need and performance requirements of the regional police services/forces.
   
   
7. To carry out any such relevant and appropriate acts and strategies for purposes of promoting regional police co-operation and collaboration as regional circumstances dictate.

Activities

1. Make relevant recommendations to governments in relation to:
   
   
   1. Harmonisation of legislation and accession and ratification of international conventions in matters related to deportation, extraditions, confiscation of proceeds of crime, repatriation of recovered exhibits;
      
      
   2. Promotion of mutual assistance on criminal investigations detection and apprehension of cross-border offenders;
      
      
   3. Facilitation of the movement and attendance of witnesses to places of trial and any other matters which may become relevant from time to time;
      
      
2. Carry out any such relevant and appropriate acts and strategies for purposes of promoting regional police co-operation and collaboration as regional circumstances dictate.

This in reality means that the SARPCCO desk at the Secretariat of SARPCCO is responsible for:

1. All legal issues
   The Legal Sub-Committee of SARPCCO advise not only the Secretariat but also the Chiefs and the Council of Police Chiefs.
   
   
2. Training of officials in Southern Africa
   In this aspect the Training Sub-Committee advise on curriculum's programmes etc.
   
   
3. Projects
   Projects undertaken by the Council of Police Chiefs and SARPCCO member countries.
   
   
4. Operations
   Cross-border to facilitate, participate etc.
   
   
5. Secretariat
   To act as the Secretariat during Seminars, Meetings, Conferences etc.
   
   
6. Liaising
   Liaising with all the Chiefs of Police on police matters

Membership of SARPCCO

The following are member countries:

• Angola
• Botswana
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Mauritius
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• South Africa
• Swaziland
• Tanzania
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

Principles of co-operation

That police co-operation within SARPCCO be conducted in accordance with the guiding principles listed below:

1. Equality of police forces/services
2. Non-political professionalism
3. Non-discrimination and flexibility of working method
4. Mutual benefit to all members
5. Observance of human rights
6. Respect for national sovereignty
7. Amicable settlement of differences

Co-operation

1. A formal forum for the Police Forces/Services of the Southern Africa region be convened to consult and arrange closer co-operation and association among members on issues of common interest such as:
   
   
   1. Formulation of agreement on joint operations across borders
      
      
   2. Reduction of time-consuming bureaucratic procedures on cross-border operations by sensitizing amendments to border control legislation in order to exclude police officers on duty notably visa requirements.
      
      
   3. Initiation and harmonisation of legislation and practices in the region.
      
      
   4. Improvements in the dissemination of criminal intelligence/information.
      
      
   5. Initiation, developments and maintenance of appropriate regional training structures.
      
      
   6. Deliberate efforts be made to facilitate investigators' movements within the region.

The Ministers for the respective Police Departments of the SARPCCO Member Countries officially signed the Co-operation Agreement during an Extraordinary Meeting held in Harare on 30th September 1997. A copy of the Constitution and the Co-operation Agreement are with National Central Bureaux of all SARPCCO Member Countries.

Consultative structure of SARPCCO

1. The decision-making and supervisory powers of SARPCCO be vested in the Council of Police Chiefs (CPC).
   
   
2. The Council of Police Chiefs meet at least once a year on a rotational basis.
   
   
3. A Secretariat be formed as the permanent administrative and technical body through which SARPCCO will operate. Interpol Sub-Regional Bureau should be utilised for this purpose.
   
   
4. To ensure the effective functioning of SARPCCO and to avoid duplication of effort and waste of resources and finance the activity of SARPCCO should be co-ordinated and carried out within the framework of the Interpol Sub-Regional Bureau.
   
   
5. The same structure should be used to prepare and co-ordinate a Sub-Regional Training strategy. This should take account of the possibilities which exit within the Sub-Region but also, where appropriate, those which can be made available through other international organisations and bilaterally by countries which can provide assistance.

Conclusion

Although we monitor all the activities, responses etc of all the National Central Bureaux, the success of SARPCCO depends entirely on all the NCBs and the Chiefs of Police.

The Out Put = Input by Data Intelligence Bank

Resolution

Subject: Interpol - A Source of Criminal Information and Intelligence

Noting the contents of Report No 18 regarding Interpol - A Source of Criminal Information and Intelligence,

Recognizing the key role of information sharing and the development of intelligence in the process of international law enforcement co-operation,

Acknowledging the significant progress made to this end in the development and implementation of computer systems by the General Secretariat of the ICPO-Interpol and in the Organisation's member countries,

Aware that the full potentials of these systems and the various specific crime-related projects which the General Secretariat is called upon to carry out can only be realised through a consistent and maintained supply of information through the National Central Bureaux to the General Secretariat,

The ICPO-Interpol General Assembly, meeting in New Delhi from 15 to 21 October 1997 at its 66th Session:

Called upon each member country to review the role contribution and capability of its NCBs in:

1. the provision of information to the General Secretariat and other countries, and
2. the dissemination of information from these sources within their countries, having particular regard to the value of providing to operational law enforcement units information which is timely, accurate, relevant and complete.

Urged member countries which have not already done so to give serious consideration to the appointment within each National Central Bureau of an Intelligence Co-ordinator whose responsibility would be:

1. to create and maintain an awareness within the National Central Bureau and the various operational law enforcement units in the country concerned of

   (a) 1. the capacity of Interpol to provide information which is relevant to their needs and,

   (a) 2. the value of all member countries playing their part in providing relevant information to feed the database and

2. to stimulate and co-ordinate the flow of information via the NCB to the General Secretariat for this purpose.

Decided that the appointment of an Intelligence Co-ordinator within each NCB should become a Service Standard within the context of the policy guidelines, 'The National Central Bureaux of the ICPO-Interpol: Policy' adopted by the 63rd Session of the General Assembly (Rome, 1994)'.

Here the understanding is that all NCBs will also supply, stimulate, co-ordinate intelligence to the Bureau.

I would like to point out that in time to come, basically countries will enjoy representation at the Bureau. The SARPCCO Secretariat is there for you to utilize to your countries benefit but also to address crime in the region.

'Make this region crime free through active participation and by promoting your local NCB as well as the Interpol Sub-regional bureau Harare'

Reference/Acknowledgement

Minutes from meetings of SARPCCO, Heads of CID, Legal Sub-Committee, Senior Police Executives and Front Line Chiefs of Police.