On 13-15 December 2023 the Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe organised its flagship event, the Octopus Conference, which brought together over 500 professionals from around 130 countries.
In their opening remarks, Alexander Seger, Head of the Cybercrime Division of the Council of Europe, Patrick Penninckx, Head of the Information Society Department of the Council of Europe, Dmytro Verbytskyy, Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine and Benone-Marian Matei, General Inspector of the Romanian National Police, all highlighted the utmost importance of the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention) and of its First and Second additional protocols, as the most comprehensive legal instruments in addressing cybercrime worldwide. Moreover, in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, violent cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and e-evidence of war crimes can be effectively handled thanks to the standards of the Convention.
Alexander Seger affirmed: “Our co-operation with Romania is long-standing. Romania joined the Budapest Convention twenty years ago, in 2003. We’ve been cooperating with the Ministry of Justice, with the Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) and with the Romanian National Police on cybercrime and electronic evidence for almost two decades. Ten years ago, this was taken to another level, when the Cybercrime Programme Office was established here, in Bucharest. Therefore, we can consider that Bucharest, Romania is like a second home of the Budapest Convention.
The topic of our conference is, obviously, cybercrime and electronic evidence, and also related capacity building activities. But this conference also takes place in a particular context. The world, right now, is facing a very difficult situation: war, conflict and insecurity, violations of international law and human rights violations.
At a time when we celebrate 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, humankind faces injustice, inequality, economic crises, increasing authoritarianism, climate change and crises of truth. And, contributing to this are cybercrime, cyberattacks, dis- or misinformation, hate crimes, hate speech online, impunity for crimes online and, what some may call non-cooperative countries and territories when it comes to cybercrime and electronic evidence. What we need, clearly, is more co-operation, more reason, common solutions, more justice, more accountability, a strengthening of human rights and the rule of law and an effective criminal justice response. And this is why we are here. With this Octopus Conference, we aim to make at least a small difference. But I believe that if all of us, all of you, co-operate more during and after this conference, we can all make a major difference.
Regarding Ukraine, much of the evidence of war crimes and gross violations of human rights, committed by the Russian Federation during its war of aggression, is electronic evidence. And this aggression is accompanied by cyberattacks against critical infrastructure. Ukraine is not only fighting for its own survival but for freedom and democracy in Europe and elsewhere.”
Patrick Penninckx said: "I am always impressed when I have the privilege of being able to address you; to look at the variety that we represent in this room the many countries that are represented through the Cybercrime Convention and the many countries that have joined that community. We are all in there together and that is one of my first and emotional elements when I come to this conference.
This is the first time that the Octopus Conference takes place outside France, outside Strasbourg. […] Holding the conference here, in Bucharest, is more than appropriate. After all, Bucharest has been hosting our Cybercrime Programme Office for 10 years. In October 2013, the Government of Romania and the Council of Europe, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the C-PROC, and the Office became operational in 2014. Establishing the Office here has proved to be the right decision. The impact of C-PROC is huge and we testify it day by day, year after year. It has supported more than 2000 activities involving 130 countries in all regions of the world and has been co-operating with numerous countries. Capacity building from our office here is a major factor in the success of the Convention in terms of its membership.
[…] We are nevertheless convinced that the Council of Europe Budapest Convention will remain the most relevant international framework for co-operation on cybercrime and electronic evidence for many, many years to come.
[…] We are a community of professionals in which the Octopus Conference plays a central role, because this is the place for you to know each other and to build trust within that community."
Dmytro Verbytskyy expressed his gratitude to the Council of Europe for its ongoing support for Ukraine. He went on to say that: " Anyone who has been a victim of unlawful violence seeks justice and the inevitability of punishment. We deeply appreciate the strong position of our partners in this matter. […]
Technology helps us live, but it also becomes a tool for committing new crimes. However, cyberspace has proved to us that we need to change approaches to understanding cyber, and cyber attacks can be a response. In terms of international crimes, during the war, Ukraine has become, let's say, a breeding ground for new crimes, and this became more relevant when we had a curfew on our territory, when we had blockades, when criminals started to re-form and commit crimes in cyberspace. This means that conventional crime decreased, but cyberspace crime increased. In addition, cyberattacks have become part of the war against Ukraine.
[…] For example, I will mention that in 2022, 31 energy sector facilities and critical infrastructure facilities suffered 65 cyberattacks. In the first quarter of 2023, 10 energy sector facilities were hit by 12 attacks, 45 missile strikes were launched against 45 energy infrastructure facilities after these attacks, and now that the cold weather has come and the temperatures in Ukraine have reached freezing point, Russia has become more active and launched both cyber and missile attacks. We are investigating all of this in criminal proceedings. We are ready to discuss all of this […]. I am very grateful that many countries are helping us with technology and trainings for our law enforcement officers. And I am convinced that technology will not surpass our humanity."
Benone-Marian Matei underlined that : "Romania, as one of the member states of the Council of Europe constantly contributes through its authorities to the promotion and implementation of the key objective of your organisation, both at the national and international level. With our knowledge and expertise and by sharing the same views on the best standards in human rights and rule of law. The Romanian National Police is a part of the national criminal justice system that works very closely with the Council of Europe in different areas of responsibility for improving the international legal framework and enhancing the international co-operation through the available tools and channels. […]
The Romanian authorities have given the right level of attention to the topic of fighting against cybercrime, since their first form of manifestation at national level, and these efforts led us to the development of specialised cybercrime units of the police and prosecutor level and domestic legislation on cybercrime fully in line with Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, to which Romania has become party since 2003. This legislation was instrumental in giving the right tools for an effective response at the national level to cybercrime threats and has offered the proper mechanisms and channels for international co-operation.
[…] I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Council of Europe for providing these legislative standards in the benefit of the countries interested in being part of the international community, committed to fight against cybercrime. Furthermore, by supporting the promotion and implementation of these standards into the domestic legislation within the framework of the capacity building programmes run by the Cybercrime Programme Office from Bucharest, the Council of Europe has demonstrated a comprehensive and coherent approach towards fighting against cybercrime, being one of the biggest actors at global level. When it comes to the Cybercrime Programme Office from Bucharest, the Romanian National Police expresses once again its full support and willingness to continue to provide assistance by sharing its experience and knowledge of cybercrime and electronic evidence matters.
It goes without saying that we also support your efforts to provide countries with the new tools and instruments for an effective response to the new challenges that led to the drafting of the Second Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention for enhanced international co-operation. Romania is among the first countries that signed this protocol and is looking forward to its implementation in order to benefit from its tools and mechanisms.
[…] Cybercrime is a serious threat and must be seen also as a threat to the national security. In the given context of hybrid war carried out by the state and non-state actors, and due to the new form of crimes, the increased level of organisation and sophistication of the criminal syndicates, their financial resources and high level of digitalisation, as well as the attacks against criminal infrastructure. Moreover, more and more forms of criminality have online components of/or involving the use of technology, therefore any modern police needs to allocate the necessary financial resources and invest in the human resources for strengthening their knowledge and have the right capacities and capabilities in place.
[…] The Romanian National Police is a strong partner of the Council of Europe and stands ready to continue to support your efforts at the global level."
On the closing day of the conference, during a dedicated ceremony, Cameroon officially became a Party to the Cybercrime Convention. With these new accessions, 69 States are now Parties, two have signed it and 20 have been invited to accede to the Convention.
Celestin-Roger Tsadjia, representative of the Ministry of Exterior of Cameroon met Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, who highlighted that: “cybercrime affects the core values and institutions of our democratic societies: from election interference to attacks against critical infrastructure. We need to keep up, or even be ahead of the curve as new technology is developing at an astonishing speed. All of you together – present here today – are central to achieving that.”
A special session titled Lessons learned from 10 years of the Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe (C-PROC) analysed the international impact of over 2000 capacity building initiatives led between 2014 - 2023 and considered future strategies.
Key stakeholders of four C-PROC joint projects of the European Union and of the Council of Europe that are ending in 2023 have met to discuss strategic priorities, paving the way for upcoming projects in 2024.
