Lyon, France - Interpol has reached an agreement with regional and national authorities in France to expand the headquarters of the World Police Agency's General Secretariat.

Since relocating to Lyon in 1989, the number of officials in the organization has continued to grow from an initial 350 positions to nearly 1000 today, making expansion and modernization of the headquarters essential.

To support the long-term presence of the Interpol General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon, France has committed 61.2 million euros in funding, as follows:

• French national: 43.2 million euros;

• Auvergne Rh ô ne Alpes Regional Council: 9 million euros;

• Greater Lyon region: 9 million euros;

• Lyon City: Land donation worth 15.84 million euros at a symbolic cost of 1 euro.

In sync with the expansion project, Interpol will invest 30 million euros to renovate and update the existing headquarters building.

International Criminal Police OrganizationSecretary-GeneralWalderse Urquisa, the Governor of the Auvergne Rh ô ne Alpes region and Rh ô ne Province, Fabiana Buchau, and representatives of regional and local authorities signed the agreement, which was officially approved by the Interpol Executive Committee at its last meeting held in Marrakesh, Morocco in November 2025.

The procurement process for the main building contract is about to commence, and the expanded headquarters is expected to accommodate up to 1500 officials and is expected to be fully operational by 2031.

Nearly three-quarters of the annual total expenditure of Interpol is concentrated in France, with 90% of it used for the local economy of Lyon. In 2024, the total global expenditure of Interpol was 162 million euros, which is equivalent to contributing approximately 110 million euros to the Lyon economy within a year.

The conferences, seminars, and training courses organized by the headquarters of the Interpol General Secretariat attract thousands of visitors to Lyon every year. In addition, nearly 1000 officials reside in the Lyon area and have made significant contributions to the local economy.

In addition to the headquarters of the Lyon General Secretariat, Interpol operates globallygarrisonincluding:

• Singapore Global Innovation Complex;

• Six regional bureaus in Africa and the Americas;

• Special Representative Offices of the African Union in Addis Ababa, the European Union in Brussels, and the United Nations in New York;

• There are offices located at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna, the European Police Office in The Hague, and the Caribbean Liaison Office in Bridgetown, Barbados.