Regional Cybercrime Consultations for Africa

The Regional Cyber Consultations are virtual discussion platforms for Africa, the Americas, and Asia, that seek to gather stakeholders from the private sector, civil society, and academia, to discuss matters related to prevention, responses, and policy making around cybercrimes, to gain knowledge about the current “Cybercrime Convention”, and to identify potential areas of engagement in its negotiation and implementation process going forward.

The Consultations have been proposed to encourage participation of non-governmental stakeholders in cybercrime issues and in the preliminary stages of a “Cybercrime Convention,” bearing in mind the need for a multi stakeholder approach in combating cybercrimes and protecting individuals in the cyberspace. In contrast to previous international treaties negotiation processes, the “Cybercrime Convention” negotiation has counted on the participation and feedback from non-governmental stakeholders, an effort that should continue to be encouraged and that may set the tone for further inclusion and collaboration between sectors on the matter.

As such, the Regional Cyber Consultations are relevant and timely, presenting an opportunity to better organize non-governmental actors around responses and policies against cybercrimes, and particularly on their participation towards a “Cybercrime Convention”. The Consultations will:

• Identify regional-specific issues in the context of cybercrimes expansion and protection.
• Present the status of the “Cybercrime Convention” negotiation process.
• Discuss matters related to human rights protection and other safeguards under the “Cybercrime Convention” process.
• Discuss possible implementation opportunities and obstacles for the “Cybercrime Convention.”
• Identify participation and coordination channels for civil society in the “Cybercrime Convention” process.
• Share best practices from non-governmental stakeholders in combating cybercrimes.