The newly elected president of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), Lucas Philippe, has pledged from Marrakech to further reinforce security cooperation with Morocco. «Cooperation with Morocco is not something to be invented, it already exists. What we must do now is make it thrive even more», Lucas Philippe told the press on Thursday, after being elected president during Interpol's 93rd General Assembly. He highlighted the «respect, hard work, and collective intelligence» that underpin the organization's relationship with the Kingdom. «You can count on me to give new momentum to this cooperation!» he added, expressing his delight at being able to «celebrate in Morocco» Interpol's values and principles. The new president also committed to preserving Interpol's legacy and maintaining the necessary momentum to achieve shared goals through a «pragmatic and achievable» action plan. He emphasized the need to turn ideas into «concrete and tangible» actions and affirmed his intention to ensure that voices from all continents are heard within the organization. Lucas Philippe succeeds Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi of the United Arab Emirates, whose mandate has ended. Philippe received 84 votes, 51.2% of the votes cast, during the General Assembly held in Marrakech from November 24 to 27. The President of Interpol and the other members of the Executive Committee are elected by the General Assembly under the «one country, one vote» principle, in which each vote carries equal weight. As President, Lucas Philippe will chair the meetings of the Executive Committee, which oversees the implementation of decisions adopted by the General Assembly. The function of President, which is unpaid and carried out part-time, involves chairing the annual General Assembly and the three yearly sessions of the Executive Committee. Interpol's statutes require the President to ensure that the Organization's activities comply with the decisions of the General Assembly and the Executive Committee, and to maintain, as far as possible, a direct and ongoing relationship with the Organization's Secretary General.
