Interpol : Who polices the world′s police ? | World | DW

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  • #Interpol : Who #polices the world′s police ? | World | DW | 21.08.2017
    http://www.dw.com/en/interpol-who-polices-the-worlds-police/a-40171868

    A key criticism leveled at Interpol is that there is no external scrutiny of its operations. The agency’s General Assembly that meets once a year is made up of policing experts - effectively people who are in the same line of work as their colleagues on the ground. Its majority-voting system means that even if a member state voices an objection to a case, its complaints can be ignored.

    Interpol isn’t accountable to any outside court or body, and it is not obliged to share any data with anyone other than its own police members and its own appeals body. Its operations are deliberately opaque in the name of protecting law enforcement information. In a nutshell: If Interpol breaks its own rules, there is no one there to hold it accountable.

    Contrast that with #Europol, also an international organization for coordinating police work, but one founded on the European Community method. The European Parliament approves the budget and has a role in senior appointments, so there is parliamentary scrutiny on behalf of the citizens. The European Court of #Justice has been given oversight of Europol, so there is judicial scrutiny as well.