Marrakech, a new nerve center for global digital issues
This year's Interpol General Assembly, hosted in Marrakech, has revealed a major shift in international security priorities: the fight against cybercrime is no longer just a technical issue, but a central geopolitical challenge. The discussions among delegations clearly indicate that digital criminal networks are now regarded as the number one transnational threat.
In a context where cyberattacks are multiplying—ransomware, data theft, digital fraud, deepfakes, cryptocurrency crime—states recognize the need for global coordination. Marrakech is thus becoming the place where new digital rules are negotiated: information sharing, harmonization of procedures, rapid alert mechanisms, and modernization of investigation tools.
Africa on the front line of a global digital battle
Hosting this General Assembly in Morocco gives significant visibility to the African continent, which has become one of the most vulnerable areas to cyber threats. Critical infrastructures are often inadequately protected, while the rapid digitalization of financial, administrative, and commercial services creates a new playing field for criminal groups.
At Marrakech, several African delegations stressed the need for enhanced support: training teams, access to advanced technologies, assistance for national CERTs, and interconnection of security databases. Morocco, with its own cybersecurity ecosystem, positions itself as a facilitator of this cooperation.
Morocco, a strategic bridge between continents
The Kingdom's strong involvement in the discussions is not coincidental. For several years, the country has significantly strengthened its cybersecurity capabilities: monitoring platforms, international partnerships, the strengthening of digital investigation teams, and enhanced police and judicial cooperation. Marrakech thus becomes a showcase for a security diplomacy that extends from Africa to Europe, including the Arab world.
The city is currently hosting one of the largest police gatherings on the planet. Through this international presence, Morocco is confirming its strategy: to become an indispensable player in the fight against global digital threats.
New threats at the heart of discussions
The discussions in Marrakech revealed an essential element: cyberattacks are undergoing qualitative evolution. They are no longer limited to simple intrusions or data thefts. They are becoming hybrid, sophisticated, and sometimes even instrumentalized in political or geopolitical contexts.
Delegations specifically addressed:
— the rise of deepfakes used to manipulate public opinion;
— cryptocurrency crime, which is hard to trace;
— attacks targeting hospitals, administrations, and sensitive infrastructures;
— operations conducted by transnational groups operating from multiple jurisdictions.
The goal of the states gathered in Marrakech is clear: to build a global cybersecurity architecture that transcends borders and facilitates rapid responses to attacks.
Global cooperation but a need for profound reforms
While delegations agree on the urgency of intensifying cooperation, many also emphasize the need for reforms at Interpol: better governance of digital tools, stricter regulation of the use of notices, strengthening internal control mechanisms, and better assistance to vulnerable countries.
Marrakech thus appears as a diplomatic laboratory where the future of the organization is being outlined. The resolutions that will be adopted will directly influence how the international community responds to cyber threats in the coming years.
An Assembly that marks a turning point
By hosting global discussions on new digital threats, Marrakech establishes itself as an emerging security capital. The 2025 edition of the Interpol General Assembly marks a turning point: the moment when cybercrime takes the central place it deserves in international security.
