The International Police Association is an independent body made up of members of the Police Service, whether on active duty or retired, and without distinction as to rank, sex, race, colour, language or religion.
Its purpose is to create bonds of friendship and to promote international co-operation.
It is committed to the principles set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as adopted by the United Nations in 1948. It recognises that any form of torture is absolutely inconsistent with these principles. Its aims include the development of cultural relations amongst its members, a broadening of their general knowledge, and an exchange of professional experiences.
In addition, it seeks to foster mutual help in the social sphere and to contribute within the limits of its possibilities to the peaceful co-existence of different peoples and to the preservation of world peace.
To this end it undertakes,
- to encourage personal contacts by organising visits of individuals and groups, arranging group holidays and initiating pen-friendships;
- to promote among the police services of all the Sections respect for law and order;
- to develop social and cultural activities and to encourage the exchange of professional experiences;
- to enhance the image of the police in the countries of its member Sections and to help improve relations between the police and the general public;
- to foster youth exchanges and international youth meetings with a view to promoting greater tolerance and understanding between people, and understanding for the work of the police;
- to facilitate a regular exchange of publications between the National Sections and to provide an information service for the National IPA publications containing news on all subjects of relevance to the Association; to promote international publications, and to help with the preparation of a bibliography of police works and, wherever possible, of all works connected with the law or legal matters;
- to facilitate international co-operation through friendly contacts between police officers of all continents and to contribute to a mutual understanding of professional problems.