Interpol to Hold its Anniversary General Assembly in Vienna in 2023

Next year, the International Criminal Police Organisation (ICPO) will celebrate its 100th anniversary. To mark the occasion, an anniversary general assembly is to be held, to which government leaders and police chiefs from all over the world are expected. The special honour of the venue will fall to Vienna, which will host the Assembly in November 2023.

In total, police and government leaders from up to 195 member states are expected to attend this special occasion, and a total of 1,500 participants are expected.

The General Assembly is one of the most important international networking meetings at the highest police level. The Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt, BK) is in charge of the preparations and implementation of this event.

During this year's General Assembly in India (18 to 21 October 2022), the Indian Minister of the Interior, Amit Shah, in the presence of Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock and Interpol President Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi, handed over the Interpol flag to the Austrian delegation, led by BK Director General Andreas Holzer.

This traditional handover officially marked the start of preparations for the anniversary event in Vienna. Unofficially, intensive preparations have been underway for weeks with the City of Vienna, the Foreign Ministry and other important players.

Gerhard Karner, Federal Minister of the Interior: "Cross-border crime needs cross-border cooperation. Hardly any other institution stands for the networked, joint and transnational fight against criminals like Interpol. That is why I am particularly pleased that Interpol will return to its founding location in Vienna for the General Assembly. We want to use this anniversary year to deepen cooperation with Interpol and all member states and to further expand it, for example, in the fight against the smuggling mafia."

"It is a special honour for the Austrian police that we will be able to host the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the largest police organisation in the world next year in Vienna. My colleagues have been working for quite some time to make this General Assembly a safe event that does justice to the significance of this anniversary," said a delighted BK Director Andreas Holzer.

The high-ranking guest list, consisting of hundreds of police chiefs and government leaders, means not only an organisational but also a special security challenge.

With the holding of the upcoming General Assembly, coupled with the 100th anniversary, Vienna will be the focus of international police attention. In addition to a high operational added value for the criminal police, such an event is also a business card for the city and the province and especially for the Austrian Federal Police.

Vienna is connected to the world's largest security organisation in a special way. The development of Interpol began here in 1923 with an "International Criminal Police Congress". After the Second World War, the then "International Criminal Police Commission" became the International Criminal Police Organization/ICPO - Interpol.

Over the past 100 years, Interpol has developed into a global security institution that comprehensively supports the now 195 member states in the international fight against crime. Interpol networks national police authorities.

The aim is to increase efficiency in the fight against international crime and terrorism and to establish uniform quality standards worldwide. For special events (major sporting events, natural disasters or terrorist attacks), Interpol provides appropriate experts.

The General Assembly is Interpol's highest authority and is attended annually by high-ranking police experts from all over the world. All fundamental decisions of the organisation are made in this body.

BMI - Ministry of the Interior - Bundesministerium fuer Inneres