LONDON (AP) 鈥 Brazilian police official Valdecy Urquiza will be the next chief of Interpol, the global police organization announced Tuesday.
Urquiza was elected secretary-general by a vote of Interpol鈥檚 general assembly at , and will take up the post when the gathering ends on Thursday.
Currently Interpol鈥檚 vice president for the Americas, Urquiza is the first chief of the Lyon, France-based organization not to come from Europe or the United States.
The Interpol secretary-general essentially runs the organization on a daily basis. J眉rgen Stock of Germany, who has held the post since 2014, is not allowed under its rules to seek a third term.
Urquiza pledged to promote diversity within the organization, saying 鈥漚 strong Interpol is one that includes everyone.鈥
鈥淲hen we respect and elevate diverse perspectives, we get a clearer, more comprehensive approach to global security,鈥 he said.
Interpol, which has 196 member countries and , works to help national police forces communicate with each other and track suspects and criminals in fields such as counterterrorism, financial crime, child pornography, cybercrime and organized crime.
The world鈥檚 biggest police organization has been grappling with challenges including a growing caseload of cybercrime and child sex abuse, and increasing divisions among its member countries.
Interpol had a total budget of about 176 million euros (about $188 million) last year, compared to more than 200 million euros at the European Union鈥檚 police agency, Europol, and some $11 billion at the FBI in the United States.
