On Wednesday, 4 June 2025, the Minister of Justice of Malta, Mr Johnathan Attard, deposited the instrument of ratification of the First Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime, concerning the criminalisation of acts of a racist and xenophobic nature committed through computer systems (ETS No. 189).
The event took place in Strasbourg in the presence of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr Alain Berset, in the margins of the Octopus Conference 2025 and in co-operation with the Maltese Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
With Malta, 38 States are now Parties to the First Additional Protocol.
On Thursday, 5 June 205, Sao Tome and Principe and Vanuatu deposited the instrument of accession to the Convention on Cybercrime (ETS 185). With these, the Convention now has 80 Parties while two have signed it and 14 others have been invited to accede.
Moreover, Fiji signed the Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime on enhanced co-operation and disclosure of electronic evidence (CETS 224). With this, 50 States have signed it of which two are already Parties.
The ceremony took place in the presence of Mr. Jorg POLAKIEWICZ, Director of the Legal Advice and Public International Law Directorate of the Council of Europe, in a treaty event held during the 32nd Plenary of the Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY) and the Octopus Conference 2025.
Council of Europe: Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention) (dedicated webpage)
Council of Europe Treaty Office: Details of the Convention (ETS No. 185)
Council of Europe: Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime (Treaty Office webpage)
Council of Europe: Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime (dedicated webpage)
Council of Europe: First Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime, concerning the criminalisation of acts of a racist and xenophobic nature committed through computer systems (ETS No. 189) (Treaty Office webpage)
Council of Europe: First Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime (dedicated webpage)
Council of Europe: International conference on xenophobia and racism committed through computer systems (dedicated webpage)
Council of Europe: Maltese Presidency to the Committee of Ministers
