A co-ordinated global initiative to enhance interview practice

Interviews with suspects, victims, and witnesses are among the most important and regular tasks undertaken by police/law enforcement agencies to progress criminal investigations. The present article addresses a critical gap both in the literature and practice of investigative interviewing—namely, the lack of a coordinated global action to establish and implement a universal standard. While countries like England and Wales, Norway, and Australia have successfully adopted rapport-based practices, these efforts remain largely confined to individual national contexts. Broader collective efforts involving academics, activists, and practitioners worldwide—focused on expanding the adoption of investigative interviewing—are scarce. To address this gap, the article outlines developments in the last few years that have attempted to provide a more universal approach to investigative interviewing and introduces a pioneering global action to support its implementation. The initiative and action are justified by their potential to improve global consistency, fairness, and effectiveness in investigative practices while fostering international collaboration. Its significance lies in broadening the reach of investigative interviewing, improving justice outcomes globally, and establishing a framework for sustained cooperation and knowledge exchange.