The circulation of an INTERPOL Notice or Diffusion marks the final stage of a complex process grounded in legality, neutrality and human rights protection. Each request submitted to INTERPOL undergoes a multi-layered assessment before it can be approved for circulation. This procedure ensures that every Red Notice or Diffusion aligns with the Organisation’s rules.
1) Request by INTERPOL’s NCB
The process begins with a member country submitting a request through its National Central Bureau (NCB) to the General Secretariat. The NCB bears the primary responsibility for ensuring that its request complies with INTERPOL’s legal framework, national legislation, and international obligations, including respect for human rights and refugee protection.
2) Forwarded to the NDTF
Once the request is received, it is registered and logged in INTERPOL’s systems, then forwarded to the Notices and Diffusions Task Force (NDTF) for examination. The NDTF is a multidisciplinary team composed of lawyers, police officers and operational experts tasked with reviewing every Notice and Diffusion request before authorisation by the General Secretariat.
3) Initial Screening by the NDTF
The first stage of the review involves an initial screening to detect potential compliance risks. This is carried out through automated tools that identify inconsistencies or missing information, combined with an assessment of the geopolitical context, such as political unrest, regime changes or disputes between states. The Task Force also considers relevant internal and external data, including information about whether the individual concerned has been granted refugee status or has previously been the target of politically motivated action.
4) (Potential) Detailed Review by the NDTF
If doubts arise during this stage, the NDTF conducts a further, more detailed review. This may involve requesting supplementary documentation or clarification from the requesting NCB, seeking additional information from other NCBs, or consulting external, credible sources to confirm the political, humanitarian, or legal circumstances of the case.
5) Detailed Legal/Human Rights Assessment by the NDTF
Following this, the NDTF performs a detailed legal and human rights assessment. It examines compliance with the RPD, which governs the processing of identity, judicial and contextual data. The evaluation also covers Article 2(1) of the Constitution, which requires that INTERPOL’s activities be carried out in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Article 3, which prohibits any involvement in cases of a political, military, religious or racial nature. Beyond formal criteria, the NDTF evaluates the broader context of the case, including whether the individual is a political activist, a refugee, or involved in a situation of domestic or interstate tension, to ensure full adherence to the Organisation’s principles of neutrality and fairness.
6) Decision by the NDTF
After the completion of the review, the NDTF issues its decision. If the request is found compliant, it is authorised for publication. If not, the request is denied, and the reasons for the decision are communicated to the requesting NCB.
Before authorisation, Red Notices and Wanted Persons Diffusions (WPDs) remain invisible to member countries within INTERPOL’s databases. When WPDs are transmitted by email, they include an explicit warning that legal review is ongoing and authorisation is pending. Once approved, the Notice or Diffusion becomes fully visible and searchable within INTERPOL’s global information system, and all NCBs are formally notified of its publication.
If non-compliance is later identified, the NDTF may take corrective action by temporarily blocking access to the data, cancelling the Notice or Diffusion entirely, and instructing all member countries to update their national databases accordingly.
