7 November, 14.00 - 17.30

Offences involving computers have grown rapidly both in number and in sophistication, but there has been a time lag in developing effective countermeasures, policies and legislation. In this context, suitable legal provisions are needed to facilitate cross-country investigation of cyber- and cyber-related crimes, as well as to provide the infrastructure necessary for efficient international cooperation with respect to the exchange of electronic evidence, which oftentimes may be located in a different jurisdiction. Policymakers can make a substantive and decisive impact on the harmonization and consistency of national legislation which will contribute to an enhanced level of cooperation between countries on both regional and international levels.

The Convention on Cybercrime with already 67 Parties serves as a guideline for any country developing comprehensive national legislation against cybercrime and as a framework for international cooperation between States Parties to this treaty. In the region, 9 states have become parties to the Convention and additional 5 countries have been invited to join, recognizing and sharing common principles and values in the global fight against cybercrime.

The workshop will explore the role of policymakers in ensuring the necessary legal mechanisms and tools for the criminal justice system to properly and effectively investigate, prosecute and adjudicate cybercrime and cases involving electronic evidence and offer a dialogue platform between legislators and criminal justice authorities.

The workshop is co-hosted by FOPREL and PGA.

• Moderator: FOPREL Permanent Secretariat 
• Rapporteur: Jose Joaquín HERNÁNDEZ ROJAS, president of the Special Commission for Science, Technology and Education of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica
• Secretariat: Catalina STROE, GLACY+ project, Council of Europe Cybercrime Programme Office 

• Observaciones introductorias y objetivos del taller
• Actualizaciones de la región sobre las reformas legislativas y el papel de los legisladores - intervenciones de varios países
• Mesa redonda sobre el fortalecimiento de la respuesta de la justicia penal a la ciberdelincuencia y el papel de los legisladores
• Conclusiones y perspectivas futuras