In the declaration adopted during the Eleventh Meeting of the Ministers of Justice or other Ministers or Attorney Generals of the Americas (REMJA XI) the accession to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime is recommended to the Member States of the Organisation of American States (OAS).

The Meetings of Ministers of Justice, other Ministers, Prosecutors and Attorney Generals of the Americas, known as the REMJA Group, perform the role of the premier hemispheric forum in criminal justice and international legal cooperation matters of the Organisation of American States (OAS) and its Member States. REMJA’s vision is to be the meeting point for legal and judicial authorities of the Americas for exchanging information, experiences and coordinating public policies to strengthen legal cooperation in the hemisphere.

The Council of Europe and the Organisation of American States’ REMJA Group have cooperated in a number of activities in the region, including, more recently, in the series of workshops on cybercrime legislation organised in the Caribbean in the framework of the Octopus Project.

Taking into consideration the role of ICTs for the effectiveness of criminal justice response so as to ensure “more rights for more people”, a series of conclusions and recommendations were approved by consensus during the plenary session hosted virtually on 19 May 2021.

To continue strengthening the legal cooperation against cybercrime in the Americas, the REMJA XI recommends “that the OAS member states that have not yet done so, consider evaluating to accede to the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime, and adopt the legal and other measures required for its implementation.”

As of 28 April 2021, 66 States are now Parties to the Convention and a further 11 have signed it or been invited to accede.

 Conclusions and Recommendations to REMJA XI (.pdf) (EN)

 OAS/REMJA webpage

 Budapest Convention on Cybercrime webpage

 Octopus Project webpage