Contrary to popular belief, INTERPOL’s General Secretariat does not issue Red Notices on its own initiative. Each of INTERPOL’s 196 member states operates a National Central Bureau (NCB), which serves as the gateway between national law enforcement authorities, INTERPOL’s General Secretariat, and their international counterparts. These communications occur via INTERPOL’s secure global police network, I-24/7.
A. Initiation of a Red Notice Request
The process begins with a formal request. The General Secretariat issues Red Notices at the request of a member country’s National Central Bureau (NCB). International judicial bodies, such as the International Criminal Court and UN tribunals, may also request them for individuals wanted for crimes such as genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity. The UN Security Council also holds this authority to support the enforcement of sanctions.
B. Initial Review by the NDTF
Upon receipt, every Notice or Diffusion request undergoes initial screening by the Notices and Diffusions Task Force (NDTF) of INTERPOL. The NDTF filters requests to determine whether they merit further scrutiny. Factors triggering deeper review include:
– Automated compliance checks, utilising technological tools designed to flag potential legal or procedural issues.
– Geopolitical sensitivities, such as recent regime changes or tensions between states, may indicate a higher risk of misuse.
– Information from other INTERPOL channels, including data from member countries, open-source intelligence, or the organisation’s internal databases. Particular attention is given to individuals who have been granted refugee status, given the heightened risk of politically motivated abuse.
C. Secondary Review Process
If a doubt on compliance arises during the initial screening, the NDTF initiates a comprehensive secondary review. This may involve:
– Requesting supplementary documentation from the referring NCB (e.g. indictments, court decisions, or arrest warrants).
– Consulting other NCBs, particularly where there are indications that an individual is already subject to extradition proceedings or asylum protection. INTERPOL may, for instance, ask the destination state in an extradition case to provide the legal rationale behind any refusal.
D. Decision: Approval or Denial
Following its assessment, the NDTF either authorises the publication of the Notice or rejects the request. If approved, the General Secretariat will formally publish the Notice and disseminate it to all member countries via I-24/7. Even after publication, the NDTF regularly reviews the existing Red Notices and WPDs using the same rules as for new requests. If compliance concerns arise, it might provisionally block visibility pending review.
In cases where a requzest is denied, the requesting NCB is notified, along with the reasons for the rejection of their request. If the individual’s data was already disseminated (for example, via a Wanted Person Diffusion), the Secretariat instructs all recipient NCBs to update or remove the data accordingly.
Notably, if a Notice or Diffusion is rejected on the grounds of non-compliance with Article 2 (Human Rights’ Protection) or Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution (Neutrality), no further cooperation through INTERPOL channels is permitted. However, such a decision does not affect the legality of proceedings in the requesting state, nor does it preclude bilateral or multilateral cooperation outside INTERPOL’s framework.
