The Government of Japan has renewed its support to the Council of Europe’s work against cybercrime, making a voluntary contribution to the current Cybercrime@Octopus project aimed at assisting countries worldwide to implement the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and strengthen data protection and rule of law safeguards.
Japan has been promoting global implementation of the Budapest Convention for many years, supporting organization of Octopus Conferences on Cooperation against Cybercrime and other important activities, and acting as a strong supporter of the Budapest Convention in international fora such as the Global Conferences on Cyberspace and UN Congress for Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
Since 2017, the Parties to the Budapest Convention have been negotiating a 2nd additional Protocol to this treaty, aimed at enhanced international cooperation on cybercrime and electronic evidence. Japan is actively involved in this process.
This new voluntary contribution will further support negotiation by many States of the 2nd additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention, in particular at the upcoming Protocol Drafting Plenary taking place from 30 November to 3 December 2020. The provisions of this Protocol will be of operational and policy benefit and will ensure that the Budapest Convention continues to stand for a free Internet where governments meet their obligation to protect individuals and their rights in cyberspace.
Japan became a Party to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime on 1 November 2012 being one of the 65 countries worldwide to have joined the Convention on Cybercrime thus far.
