INTERPOL presidency candidate stresses need for stronger coordination, praises Morocco’s security role

Lucas Philip, a senior French police official and candidate for the presidency of Interpol, said Monday that his top priority is to preserve the balance and cooperation among the organization’s member states as it enters its second century.

Philip, who serves as controller general and adviser for European and international affairs at France’s National Police, spoke to Hespress on the sidelines of Interpol’s 93rd General Assembly in Marrakech.

“The most urgent priority for me, as a candidate to lead an organization that is more than 100 years old, is maintaining the bridges that connect its member countries,” he said.

Philip said that, if elected, he intends to make Interpol “more operational” at a time when the organization has expanded its activities. “Interpol has many initiatives, but what we need today is structure, innovation and a real culture of impact,” he said.

He emphasized closer work with frontline officers and a leadership approach that engages all members. “This means focusing on day-to-day operational details and ensuring no one is left behind,” he said. “We must keep innovating with tools accessible to all, supported by collective intelligence.”

Philip also highlighted the need to align Interpol’s work with a clear risk map and to accelerate modernization. He praised the organization’s current leadership for moving in that direction. “There are major structural projects that unite everyone,” he said. “All members want the same thing.”

Turning to international coordination, Philip stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between Europol and Interpol. “We face common challenges, and there is positive energy that must be structured,” he said. Europe, he added, “is one region among others,” and stronger connections are needed between Europe and Africa, Africa and Asia, and Asia and the Americas. “We need both a global vision and local action.”

Philip also praised Morocco’s hosting of the General Assembly and the strength of the countries’ bilateral security ties. “Morocco is a country that combines tradition and modernity,” he said. “We have deepened our cooperation, worked together on the Olympics, counterterrorism and organized crime, and carried out major joint operations.”

Being in Marrakech for the meetings, he said, “has a strong personal resonance,” noting that he has spoken publicly before about Morocco’s role in supporting France’s security.

Asked about the future of Moroccan-French security cooperation, Philip said effective collaboration depends on clarity and trust. “When risks and threats are well-defined, cooperation becomes much easier,” he said. “Once information is shared, controlled and trusted, we become more efficient.”

He also underlined the closeness of relations between the two countries. “Between France and Morocco, there is a friendship that speaks for itself,” he said. “Actions, not words, define us. And for me to be considered ‘the Moroccan candidate’ here is a strong signal, and a responsibility to coordinate with all partners at both the bilateral and multilateral levels.”