Special Notices

INTERPOL–United Nations Security Council Special Notice

The INTERPOL-United Nations Security Council Special Notice is issued for individuals and entities that are subject to sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council. Its principal function is to alert national law enforcement authorities that certain sanctions apply to designated individuals and entities. The three most common sanctions are:

• Assets freeze: freezing funds or other assets. There is no requirement to seize or confiscate assets;
• Travel ban: preventing an individual from entering or transiting through territories. There is no requirement to arrest or prosecute these individuals;
• Arms embargo: preventing the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of arms and related materials.

The Special Notice was created in 2005, as a way to combine the UN sanctions regime with INTERPOL’s well-established notice system into an effective law enforcement tool.

The purpose of the Special Notice

The Special Notice seeks to alert law enforcement agencies worldwide that a given individual or entity is subject to UN sanctions, and in doing so, to help give effect to those sanctions. Special Notices contain information that assists law enforcement officers to take appropriate action in accordance with their national laws.

Like other INTERPOL notices, Special Notices are circulated to all INTERPOL member countries through INTERPOL’s secure global communications system. Extracts of Special Notices also appear on the public website. More than 350 Special Notices have been issued since its creation.

Cooperation with Sanctions Committees

INTERPOL first worked with the 1267 Committee, the Sanctions Committee established in 1999 in relation to Al-Qaida and the Taliban. In 2011, the 1267 Committee was divided into two distinct sanctions regimes, one for Al-Qaida and another for the Taliban:

• The  Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011): this committee oversees sanctions concerning individuals and entities associated with Al-Qaida.

• The  Committee pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011): this committee oversees sanctions concerning individuals and entities associated with the Taliban;

INTERPOL continues to work with the two sanctions committees and Special Notices are issued for individuals and entities subject to both sanctions regimes.

The success of the Special Notice has resulted in cooperation being extended to other Sanctions Committees. INTERPOL also collaborates with the sanctions committees concerning Liberia, Côte d’lvoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea/Somalia and Sudan, and could extend its cooperation to other sanctions committees in the future.