A two-day National Conference on Cybercrime and E-evidence for Prosecutors opened today in Nadi, Fiji. Organised by the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) with the support of the GLACY-e joint project of the European Union and Council of Europe and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the conference aims at increasing the mutual understanding on the needs and challenges faced by criminal justice authorities, particularly when dealing with cybercrime and electronic evidence.
In his keynote speech, the Hon.Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, highlighted that, “this conference is a significant step towards enhancing our collective capacity to combat cybercrime. Let us use this platform to engage in meaningful dialogue, share insights, and strengthen our resolve to protect our digital future.” Calling to cooperation with other countries in the region, the Hon.Minister reinforced that, “It is incumbent on us in our great Pacific Ocean to walk this together and to chart our way forward to ensure that we preserve the vast Pacific Ocean we call our home. No one has walked this way before!”
In her welcoming address, the European Union Ambassador to the Pacific, emphasised the commitment of the European Union with targeted investments in international cyber cooperation, grounded in the rule of law, human rights, and democratic values. She also highlighted priority actions in the Indo-Pacific region, including strengthening capacity building for partners to tackle cybercrime, progressing towards the use of existing standards and reinforcing cooperation mechanisms and available tools under the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention). In her words, “The EU is glad to support the National Conference on Cybercrime which will empower the participants to build cooperation mechanisms, trust and skills to share data for investigation, prosecution and ultimately, reduction of cybercrimes”.
Addressing cybercrime has become a strategic priority for most of Pacific countries. Several countries in the region have adopted domestic legislation and have taken meaningful steps towards the adhesion to the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention). In this process, the work of the Cybercrime Programme Office (C-PROC) of the Council of Europe is widely recognised, particularly in assisting countries to work together and strengthen their legal systems and capacities on cybercrime.
The National Conference on Cybercrime and E-evidence for Prosecutors brings together more than 100 participants including officers from the Director of Public Prosecutions, police officers, investigators, Legal Aid Commission and Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption officers. The conference is facilitated under the GLACY-e project and represents a step forward in the support to Fiji authorities to enhance capacities of the criminal justice system, to address cybercrime and ensure observance of rule of law and protection of fundamental rights. Future steps will be jointly supported by GLACY-e and Octopus projects.
Cybercrime Programme Office (C-PROC) of the Council of Europe
Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention)
ODPP hosts conference for better understanding of cybercrime in Fiji