The INTERPOL-United Nations Security Council Special Notice combines the UN sanctions regime with INTERPOL’s well-established notice system into an effective law enforcement tool.
It 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 at least one of these forms of sanctions apply:
- 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 purpose of the Special Notice
Special Notices contain information that identifies the individual or entity, and explains the relevant sanctions; this assists law enforcement officers to take appropriate action in accordance with their national laws.
Since December 2017, UN Member States are encouraged to submit photographs and other biometric data of individuals for inclusion in these Special Notices under UNSC Resolution 2399.
Special Notices are circulated to all INTERPOL member countries through our secure global communications system, and extracts of them are published on this website. More than 700 Special Notices have been issued since its creation in 2005.
Cooperation with Sanctions Committees
We have formal procedures for cooperation with 10 Sanctions Committees and issue Special Notices for individuals and entities subject to these sanctions regimes. Two of the Sanctions Committees most active in this regard are:
- The Sanctions Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011): this Committee oversees sanctions concerning individuals and entities associated with ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaida.
- The Sanctions Committee pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011): this Committee oversees sanctions concerning individuals and entities associated with the Taliban;
The success of the Special Notice with these two committees has resulted in INTERPOL’s cooperation being extended to other Sanctions Committees, including those concerning the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, the Central African Republic, Yemen, South Sudan and Libya. Our cooperation with Sanctions Committees may be further extended in future.
