2 June 2014 - Interpol Secretary-General, Ronald Kenneth Noble, today, made an unprecedented visit to Bissau, as a sign of the organization's support to national authorities as the country is returning to constitutional order.

Ronald Noble was accompanied by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General ( SRSG ) of the United Nations Office for West Africa ( UNOWA) , Saidi Djinnit. At their arrival from Dakar, they were welcomed by Bissau-Guinean authorities and the Head of the Rule of Law and Security Institutions ( ROLSI ) of UNIOGBIS, Antero Lopes, on behalf of the SRSG for Guinea-Bissau, Jose Ramos-Horta.

The delegation met with Minister of Justice, Mamadou Saidu Balde, at his office. It also visited the Heads of Judiciary Police and Interpol among other activities.

At a joint press conference at UNIOGBIS with SRSG Said Djinnit, Roland Kenneth Noble said that: "This is an historic visit in my capacity of Interpol Secretary-General but it is more important as I'm accompanied by SRSG Djinnit".

"The UN and Interpol are working together to make sure that Guinea-Bissau have full support in the fight against organized crime", he explained.

SRSG Said Djinnit also commended the ongoing return to constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau and recalled that governments change but institutions remain.

In its Resolution 2157 adopted on 29 May, the Security Council commended the important work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in collaboration with relevant United Nations entities in the fight against drug trafficking and transnational organized crime in Guinea-Bissau and the subregion, and encouraged enhanced cooperation between UNODC and UNIOGBIS.

It also stressed the need for increased coherence, coordination and efficiency among relevant partners to enhance their collective efforts towards combating drug trafficking in Guinea-Bissau, in particular through sharing of information.

The 15-member body called upon the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to review, adopt and implement national legislations and mechanisms to more effectively combat transnational organized crime, in particular drug trafficking and money-laundering, and in this context, to provide additional support to the Transnational Crime Unit (TCU) established under the West Africa Coast Initiative (WACI).