One of the aims of the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime (also known as the "Budapest Convention")  is to modernise criminal law provisions to prevent computer systems from being used to facilitate sexual abuse and exploitation of children. The Convention seeks to strengthen protective measures for children against sexual exploitation, by criminalizing various aspects of electronic production, possession and distribution of child pornography (Article 9).

Furthermore, the Convention introduces procedural law measures and sets up a fast and effective regime of international cooperation to enable investigation of offences related to cyberviolence, allowing for preservation and collection of electronic evidence.

The Council of Europe Convention on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, also known as “the Lanzarote Convention”, is a human rights treaty specifically dedicated to preventing and responding to all forms of sexual violence against children.

By putting children’s rights at its heart, it adopts a victim-centred approach with far reaching provisions that improve systems and services, therefore helping States to fight against all forms of violence against children.

As information and communication technologies (ICTs) have created new means for sexual offenders to target and harm children, means which were not known to the same extent as today at the time of adoption of the Lanzarote Convention, the Lanzarote Committee released an Interpretative Opinion on the applicability of the Lanzarote Convention to sexual offences against children facilitated through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) (12 May 2017). 

Both the Budapest and Lanzarote Conventions are open to accession by any country in the world, inspiring legislation and policies in all regions, helping countries and organisations to deliver on their commitment towards the UN SDGs.

While the Lanzarote Convention sets the ground for criminalizing sexual abuse and exploitation offences, the Budapest Convention provides the relevant procedural framework for investigations, collection of electronic evidence and international cooperation.