Law enforcement authorities play an important role in preventing and fighting cybercrime as they are in the frontline. At the same time, it is equally important that all criminal justice authorities, including the judiciary, magistrates, prosecutors, strengthen their abilities to investigate, prosecute and cooperate internationally, in order to have an effective response to the challenges posed by cybercrime and e-evidence.

With these underlying principles in mind, the series of online appointments in the Caribbean region continued on 20-21 April 2021 with a workshop on criminal justice capacities on cybercrime and electronic evidence and accession to the Budapest Convention organised with national authorities of Guyana.

The two-day event was jointly facilitated by the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS) and the Council of Europe and came as a follow-up to the regional workshop held in July 2020. Organised within the framework of the Octopus Project, it was supported also by the Organisation of American States (OAS), through the REMJA group (The Meetings of Ministers of Justices, other Ministers, Prosecutors and Attorney Generals of the Americas), and the US Department of Justice.

Representatives of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Police Force, National Data Management Authority, Attorney General's Chambers, Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel participated in the event, together with USDOJ, CARICOM IMPACS, Council of Europe staff and international experts.

The Council of Europe’s approach to addressing cybercrime was discussed, as well as current threats and challenges worldwide and the need for a strategic approach and international cooperation. To this end, the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and the benefits of signing and ratifying the Treaty have been presented, together with the envisioned elements of the future Second Additional Protocol on enhanced cooperation on cybercrime and electronic evidence. The related domestic legislation of Guyana was also in the focus of the discussions, with the starting point of it having been previously assessed as largely consistent with the substantive and procedural provisions of the Budapest Convention. Furthermore, the capacity building programmes offered by the Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe (C-PROC) have been introduced to the participants from Guyana with a view of identifying the roadmap for further support that can be provided by the Council of Europe in cooperation with its partners in the region.

Through the Octopus Project, the Council of Europe will continue dialogue with the countries in the Caribbean region for legislative alignment with international best practices based on the Budapest Convention on cybercrime as a global standard, as well as for further capacity building. The Council of Europe gratefully acknowledges voluntary contributions of the donors to this project.

 Octopus Project webpage

 CARICOM IMPACS website

 OAS/REMJA webpage

 T-CY report: Benefits of signing and ratifying the Budapest Convention (.pdf)