LYON, France, April 2 (UPI) -- Interpol is hosting a conference at the organization's headquarters in France aimed at facilitating international cooperation to fight 21st century threats.

The annual Heads of National Central Bureaus conference put on by Interpol and attended by top police officials around the world is an effort to foster international cooperation and collaboration to fight modern crime and terrorist threats. Officials say the three-day meeting will focus on strengthening Interpol's operational capabilities through police training and development, Interpol reported.

"Interpol's ambitious vision for 21st-century policing calls for a new approach to fighting terrorism and other serious transnational crime, an approach that moves international policing from the sidelines to front and center, psychologically and operationally," Interpol Secretary-General Ronald Noble said in a statement.

Officials say effective National Central Bureaus will require new experts in evolving specialties who can be called to assist countries around the world in responding to urgent situations. Noble call the National Central Bureaus crucial for providing police officers with expertise and assistance in international police matters.