Valdecy Urquiza is a visionary leader in global law enforcement whose career embodies integrity, innovation, and an unyielding dedication to justice. Appointed as Secretary General of INTERPOL in 2024, he became the first Brazilian to lead the world’s largest international police organization — a role that places him at the forefront of global cooperation against crime in all its evolving forms.
With decades of distinguished service in policing and international relations, Urquiza has built a reputation as a bridge-builder — linking nations, cultures, and institutions in pursuit of a safer world. Before his appointment, he served as INTERPOL’s Executive Director for Governance, where his strategic leadership strengthened transparency, accountability, and operational coordination among the organization’s 196 member countries. His career with the Brazilian Federal Police honed his expertise in combating organized crime, human trafficking, and transnational corruption, earning him recognition as both a reformer and a diplomat.
Urquiza’s vision for INTERPOL is rooted in unity and progress — harnessing technology, data, and shared values to protect communities in an age where crime transcends borders. He champions the power of collaboration and the belief that justice is not confined by geography, but defined by humanity. Inspiring, forward-thinking, and deeply principled, Valdecy Urquiza leads INTERPOL with the conviction that innovation and solidarity are the twin pillars of global peace and security.
Valdecy Urquiza was appointed as Secretary General of INTERPOL in November 2024. He is a Brazilian Police Commissioner with extensive experience in senior law enforcement roles at both the national and international level. Before taking up his position as Secretary General, Mr Urquiza was Director of International Cooperation for the Brazilian Federal Police. Prior to this, he was responsible for its International Legal Cooperation Division, International Relations Division, and Directorate of Information Technology.
Mr Urquiza served as Vice-President for the Americas on INTERPOL’s Executive Committee from 2021 to 2024. During this time, he chaired its Operational and Institutional Sub-Committee, leading discussions on critical international policing matters and how to ensure a role and voice for INTERPOL’s National Central Bureaus (NCBs) in the framework of international police cooperation. From 2018 to 2021, Mr Urquiza was the Assistant Director for Vulnerable Communities at the INTERPOL General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon, France, overseeing three key crime areas: crimes against children, human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
Mr Urquiza is of Brazilian nationality and a native Portuguese speaker. He is also fluent in English and Spanish.
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