2009 (original) (raw)

Secure borders, document security and anti-counterfeiting initiatives high on agenda in meeting between Ukraine Prime Minister and INTERPOL Secretary General

The INTERPOL delegation met with Victor Shvets, Head of the Parliamentarian Committee on Legislative Support of Law Enforcement
Anti-counterfeiting technology was high on the agenda for discussions between INTERPOL and Ukranian officials

KIEV, Ukraine – The importance of secure borders, secure travel documents and promoting anti-counterfeiting technologies were key issues during discussions between the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko and an INTERPOL delegation led by Secretary General, Ronald K. Noble, at their meeting in Kiev today.

As part of their ongoing commitment in supporting global efforts to assist law enforcement authorities in implementing secure borders, best practices for secure identity documents and promoting solutions to eliminate counterfeiting, the Ukrainian authorities offered to host a major international conference on secure borders and secure documents in early 2010.

"The government of the Ukraine appreciates these important developments in security, and the work of INTERPOL will continue to get our fullest support," said Prime Minister Tymoshenko.

The Ukraine’s offer to host an international conference was welcomed by INTERPOL Secretary General, Ronald K. Noble, as an important step in enhancing global partnerships in promoting border and document security worldwide:

“With our Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database which currently contains more than 16 million entries, INTERPOL has been at the forefront of ensuring that each of our 187 member countries have access to the technology to protect their borders and their citizens from terrorists and other criminals”.

“The conference, to be held in Ukraine in 2010, will provide a global forum for the public and private sectors to come together and identify areas where mutual support and exchange of expertise can further enhance the safety and security of citizens worldwide.”

During his mission to the Ukraine, as part of INTERPOL's Global Security Initiative (GSI), Secretary General Noble also signed a memorandum of understanding with the EDAPS Consortium to design a prototype state-of-the-art e-passport for INTERPOL Executive Committee members, Heads of National Central Bureaus, and General Secretariat staff. INTERPOL and EDAPS will also co-operate in the promotion and development of innovative solutions to combating counterfeiting.

THE GSI strategic framework, overwhelmingly adopted by the INTERPOL General Assembly in St. Petersburg, Russia in October 2008, includes five core areas: Global Security, Secure Global Infrastructure, Training and Capacity Building, Global Partnerships and Innovation.

The INTERPOL prototype e-passport is the first of its kind to be designed for the organization and will incorporate a range of security features including laser engraving, an electronic chip, holographic, micrographic and optical security elements. The prototype will then be presented to INTERPOL’s Executive Committee and the Heads of INTERPOL’s National Central Bureaus for their endorsement during their upcoming meetings in March of this year.

"This prototype e-passport demonstrates how GSI will bring innovation to the way in which INTERPOL and its member countries prevent crime and co-operate internationally,” said GSI Managing Director Elaine Dezenski.

“The adoption of a secure e-passport will help facilitate the identification of individuals travelling internationally on INTERPOL related business and to help INTERPOL educate its member countries about state-of-the-art security features in passports, identity documents and other products available via the world's most innovative companies such as EDAPS.”