Interpol should elect a new head from a developing nation to diversify the organisation and boost its credibility as crime becomes increasingly globalised, Brazil's candidate to head the international police agency, Valdecy Urquiza, told Reuters.

This would help Interpol strengthen global cooperation to combat transnational crime, said Urquiza, currently Brazil's Federal Police Director for International Cooperation.

In its 100 years, Interpol has been run by men from the West's developed nations, from just five countries, four in Europe and the United States.

"The organization runs the risk of losing credibility and losing legitimacy if it isolates itself. What we need for Interpol's success is plurality," Urquiza told Reuters in an interview on Friday.

"We need all countries to feel included, for all regions to be served."

Interpol's executive committee will elect a new secretary general Feb. 13 for a five-year term, succeeding its current head, Juergen Stock of Germany.

The four candidates include Britain's Stephen Kavanagh, at present Interpol Director of Police Services, Mubita Nawa from Zambia and Faisal Shahkar of Pakistan. The selected candidate will be put to Interpol's General Assembly in November.

Headquartered in Lyon, France, Interpol is the world's largest police coordination body with 196 member countries, networking police forces from around the world.

Russia escaped moves to suspend it after invading Ukraine in 2022 and critics accused Moscow of abusing Interpol tools, such as its "red notice" system, to get political opponents arrested abroad.

Urquiza, 42, currently one of Interpol's three vice-presidents, said Brazil's stated neutrality in global affairs was an advantage.

"Interpol cannot be used for geopolitical ends, so it is important that the secretary general comes from a neutral country, and Brazil has that. It is a reliable partner," he said.

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Ricardo Brito; Editing by Ros Russell)