Valdecy Urquiza was appointed as Secretary General of INTERPOL in November 2024. He is a Brazilian Police Commissioner with extensive experience in senior law enforcement roles at both the national and international level.
Before taking up his position as Secretary General, Mr Urquiza was Director of International Cooperation for the Brazilian Federal Police. Prior to this, he was responsible for its International Legal Cooperation Division, International Relations Division, and Directorate of Information Technology.
Mr Urquiza served as Vice-President for the Americas on INTERPOL’s Executive Committee from 2021 to 2024. During this time, he chaired its Operational and Institutional Sub-Committee, leading discussions on critical international policing matters and how to ensure a role and voice for INTERPOL’s National Central Bureaus (NCBs) in the framework of international police cooperation.
From 2018 to 2021, Mr Urquiza was the Assistant Director for Vulnerable Communities at the INTERPOL General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon, France, overseeing three key crime areas: crimes against children, human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
Mr Urquiza is of Brazilian nationality and a native Portuguese speaker. He is also fluent in English and Spanish.
Professional experience
2024-date - Secretary General of INTERPOL
2023-2024 - Director of International Cooperation, Brazilian Federal Police
2021-2024 - Vice-President for the Americas on INTERPOL’s Executive Committee
2021-2022 - Head of the International Legal Cooperation Division, Brazilian Federal Police
2018-2021 - Assistant Director for Vulnerable Communities, INTERPOL General Secretariat
From 2007 to 2018, he held progressive roles within the Brazilian Federal Police:
2015-2018 - Head of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) of Brazil and Head of International Police Cooperation for the Brazilian Federal Police
2014-2015 - Head of International Relations Division
2010-2014 - Head of Information Technology Directorate
2009-2010 - Head of Logistics, Finance, and Procurement Administration
2008-2009 - Head of the Environmental Crime Enforcement Unit
2007-2008 - Head of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Group
2004-2007 - Attorney specialized in public and environmental law
Academic experience
2019 - Professional Development Program, Harvard University, USA
2017 - Graduate of the FBI National Academy, Quantico, USA
2011 - Scholarship Program on Police Info-Communication Systems, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan
Since 2010 - Professor at the National Police Academy of the Brazilian Federal Police
2011 - MBA in Public Administration, Brazilian Institute of Capital Markets (IBMEC), Brasilia, Brazil
2005 - MBA in Strategic Sustainability Management, Pontifical Catholic University (PUC), São Paulo, Brazil
2003 - Bachelor in Law, University of Fortaleza (UNIFOR), Fortaleza, Brazil