CLA News / Inside INTERPOL: How the CCF Safeguards Global Data

18/11/2025
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On 23 September 2025, the CLA Public and Administrative Law Committee welcomed Susie Alegre as a guest speaker. Representing the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF), Susie offered the committee a rare insight into the oversight of the workings of the Commission,

What is the CCF?

The CCF is an independent, impartial body, officially responsible for ensuring that the processing of personal data by INTERPOL complies with the applicable rules. The CCF has three main functions as defined in INTERPOL’s constitution which is a supervisory role, an advisory role and a processing role in which it handles individual’s requests for access to, correction of or deletion of data within the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) Information System.

What is INTERPOL?

INTERPOL was founded in 1923, and the General Secretariat is headquartered in Lyon, France. INTERPOL is an inter-governmental organisation that facilities global police cooperation to combat international crime with 196 member states. INTERPOL facilities global police cooperation through a mandate on technical cooperation focused on international police matters, the tracking of fugitives, ensuring and promoting the widest possibility of mutual legal assistance and facilitating extraditions by issuing notices.

There is no autonomous enforcement power or police forces acting as a coordination and communication hub between national police forces. It does not issue “International Arrest Warrants”.

The key tools used by INTERPOL are Notices and Diffusions which are published and circulated at the request of member countries to alert police forces in other countries and request action. The Notices are colour-coded and may appear as:

  • Blue means to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a criminal investigation;
  • Yellow means to help locate missing persons, often minors, or to help identify persons who are unable to identify themselves; and
  • Red means to seek the location and arrest of persons wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence.

How do the CCF and INTERPOL work with one another?

The CCF is INTERPOL’s independent quasi-judicial body providing an effective remedy to individuals affected by the processing of data through INTERPOL’s channels.

Composition of the CCF

The Commission is structured in two chambers. The first being The Supervisory and Advisory Chamber which in its supervisory capacity it carries out the necessary checks to ensure that the processing of personal data by INTERPOL complies with its rules. In its advisory capacity, it provides advice on any of its projects, operations or sets of rules, either on its own initiative or at the request of the General Secretariat.

The second chamber is The Requests Chamber which examines requests for access to data as well as requests for correction and/or deletion of data processed in the INTERPOL Information System. It also examines applications for revision.

There are seven members elected by the INTERPOL General Assembly. The members serve in their personal capacity and do not represent national authorities. Each member has a specific subject-matter expertise and there are four plenary sessions each year. The Permanent Secretariat are the Secretary, Counsels/Legal Officers, and Administrative Attachés.

You can read the full CCF presentation here, and use the following  Annual Report to read the last published CCF Annual Report with statistics (2023). The 2024 edition will be published at the end of November.

 

 

 

 

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