 Our national central bureaus, or NCEBs, are the essential nodes of Interpol's global early warning system. They are our foundation for operational support and the stepping stones for Interpol's response to the world security challenges. This is why meetings such as the heads of NCEBs are so important. It is an opportunity for direct exchange of expertise and experience between all our member countries. Interpol is unique in that we connect law enforcement across 194 countries, each with its own crime priorities in addition to regional and global threats. It is through our network that they can communicate instantly and effectively and also have access to our 17 global databases and the 91 million police records they contain. The heads of NCEBs meeting is also an opportunity for me to speak with the police chiefs from around the world to make sure that Interpol is responding to their needs and to gain a stronger insight into their day-to-day activities.