The Budapest Convention is the most relevant international criminal justice agreement on cybercrime and electronic evidence with currently 70 states that are Parties and 23 states that have signed it or been invited to accede. The Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY) – representing the parties to this treaty – oversees its effective use and implementation and the Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe (C-PROC) in Romania is supporting countries worldwide through building activities. Operational since April 2014, over 2100 activities supported by C-PROC have benefitted more than 130 countries.

Civil society contributed to the preparation of the new Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime between 2017 and 2021 in six rounds of consultations. This Protocol was opened for signature in May 2022. Co-operation with civil society, data protection organisations and industry is also sought within the framework of capacity building activities. The Octopus Conference, organised every 12 to 18 months by the Cybercrime Division of the Council of Europe, constitutes one of the largest platforms of exchange on cybercrime matters gathering experts from more than 130 countries from public and private sectors, civil society and academia. Some 18 civil society organisations participated in its 2023 edition.