INTERPOL PARTNERS WITH ITU-IMPACT

LANDMARK COOPERATION AGREEMENT SIGNED AT INTERPOL’S GENERAL
ASSEMBLY IN ROME

November, 2012 – In an effort to further enhance cybersecurity around the world, International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats (IMPACT), the cybersecurity executing arm of United Nations’ specialised agency – the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the General Secretariat of the International Criminal Police Organisation – (INTERPOL), reached a historic milestone with the signing of a landmark ‘Cooperation Agreement’ between both international organisations. The formal exchange of Agreement took place today during the 81 INTERPOL General Assembly held here in Rome, Italy.

Through this Agreement, it allows both IMPACT and INTERPOL to exchange information, expertise as well as to enhance both organisations’ knowledge base in the field of cybersecurity. The Agreement will also see the cross promotion of capacity building activities aimed at the public and private sector and the civil society, with an objective to curb cyber crimes by protecting the cyber space and orchestrating a safer global

“This kind of cross-agency collaboration is essential to combating the increasingly serious problem of international cybercrime,” said ITU Secretary-General Dr. Hamadoun I. Touré. “For too long, cyber criminals have hidden behind national borders, hoping to escape detection or eluding the jurisdiction of national law enforcement authorities. This new partnership with INTERPOL represents a major step forward in our efforts to bring such Datuk Mohd Noor Amin, Chairman of IMPACT added; “The signing of this agreement is truly a landmark event for all of us. For the first time, we are effectively pooling together and merging the resources from INTERPOL’s community of police forces worldwide with ITU-IMPACT’s existing stakeholders from governments, telecommunications regulators, CERTs, ISPs, ICT industry and academia. ITU’s recent MOU with the United Nations Office of Drug and Crime (UNODC) further strengthens the partnership by potentially adding in judicial officers and prosecutors under the ITU-IMPACT umbrella. This coming together of various different, but important, stakeholders is vital if we are going to succeed against the cyber criminals and enhance international cybersecurity.”

The Cooperation Agreement paves the way for INTERPOL and ITU-IMPACT to effectively cooperate within the scope of their respective mandates and resources in the field of cybersecurity. This Agreement is also designed to provide a broad framework for such cooperation to take place and to establish a collaborative association, with a view to promoting cybersecurity capacity-building and addressing cyber threats on a global scale.

Datuk Mohd Noor Amin, Chairman of IMPACT and Mr Ronald K. Noble, Secretary General of INTERPOL signed the Cooperation Agreement today, witnessed by ITU Secretary-General, Dr. Hamadoun I. Touré.

With 144 countries now, part of the ITU-IMPACT coalition, IMPACT is entrusted with the task of providingcybersecurity support and services to ITU’s Member States and other organisations within the UN system. ITU-IMPACT’s global partnership now embraces over 200 industry, academia and international organizations.