The Hong Kong Police Force aims to showcase its role as a "superconnector" and demonstrate the professionalism of "Asia's Finest" as the city prepares to host the 94th session of the Interpol General Assembly for the first time, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Keith Yip Wan-lung said.
Interpol is the world’s largest international law enforcement organization. Over 1,000 delegates from 196 member countries are expected to attend the four-day general assembly, which will run from November 30 to December 3.
Yip said the force hopes to enhance its collaboration with member countries and foster international exchanges, while contributing to national law enforcement efforts by leveraging Hong Kong’s unique systemic advantages.
With delegates arriving from highly diverse backgrounds, Yip highlighted security as the most challenging part of the preparations, noting that comprehensive risk analysis and counter-terrorism measures remain key considerations.
Between April and September, authorities conducted four major inter-departmental drills, with each exercise mobilizing between 1,500 and 3,000 personnel.
Meanwhile, Yip stressed that as the host, the force intends to offer visiting officials the time and freedom to explore Hong Kong outside of the official assembly agenda.
The force is also careful not to disrupt the daily lives of local residents when formulating transportation and closed-area security arrangements, he added.
“We hope to showcase the professionalism of the city and the Hong Kong Police Force, and to show that the city is a diverse, highly efficient, welcoming, and exceptionally hospitable place,” Yip said.
While seeking to deepen collaboration with existing Southeast Asian partners, the force also expects to expand ties with countries across other continents.
According to Yip, police hope to sign agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with global counterparts to strengthen cooperation in joint law enforcement, intelligence sharing, information exchange, and officer training.
Additionally, Yip revealed plans to utilize the conference to promote the Hong Kong International Academy of Policing, which is scheduled to be established on November 11.
Yip’s own leadership style was deeply shaped by his international experience at Interpol from 2013 to 2014, when he was seconded to the organization’s Criminal Organizations and Drugs Sub-Directorate in Lyon as a Criminal Intelligence Officer.
He recalled duties that ranged from attending meetings to cracking down on sports match-fixing in Africa, noting that the secondment opened his eyes and fostered an innovative, "think outside the box" approach through his exchanges with global colleagues.
Yip said gaining firsthand knowledge of law enforcement operations in other parts of the world inspired him to unleash the full potential of local talent upon returning to Hong Kong.
“The Hong Kong Police Force is of a high caliber in global law enforcement,” he said. “With the abundant resources provided to us, our colleagues are encouraged to be bold and creative.”
