Why the World Can’t Afford to Keep Taiwan Out of Interpol

Executive Summary

Taiwan’s exclusion from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) presents a critical gap in the global effort to combat transnational crime. As criminal networks become more sophisticated, particularly in areas such as cybercrime, human trafficking, and terrorism, seamless international cooperation is essential. Despite Taiwan’s strategic importance in the Asia-Pacific region and its advanced law enforcement capabilities, it remains excluded from Interpol’s systems, creating a vulnerability in the global security framework.

Without access to Interpol’s I-24/7 communications system, Taiwan cannot engage in real-time information exchanges crucial for tracking criminal activity, which hampers its ability to combat transnational threats effectively. Taiwan’s geographic position at the crossroads of many illicit activities, combined with its exclusion from Interpol, weakens the global law enforcement response. Taiwan’s observer status in Interpol would not only benefit its own security efforts but also strengthen international crime-fighting capabilities.

The push for Taiwan’s inclusion has gained momentum in recent years, with legislative efforts and diplomatic campaigns from countries like the United States, Japan, and members of the European Union. Recent efforts have also focused on revisiting the misuse of UN Resolution 2758, which has often been wrongly interpreted to exclude Taiwan from international organizations. Could correcting this misinterpretation open the door for Taiwan’s participation in specialized agencies like Interpol at the next Interpol General Assembly?