On 21 November 2025, the Council of Europe’s Cybercrime Programme Office (C-PROC) hosted a study visit of the Delegation of the European Union (EUD) to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and CARICOM/CARIFORUM, the Foundation for the Internationalisation of Public Administration (FIAP) and representatives from the relevant institutions responsible for cybercrime and cybersecurity policies in Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago aimed at providing insights into effective responses to cybercrime.
The meeting was an opportunity to introduce the participants to the Council of Europe global action of cybercrime, built on the framework of the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention), the Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY) and the capacity-building initiatives led by C-PROC. Discussions focused on the evolving challenges posed by cybercrime, particularly in the areas of electronic evidence and the impact of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
A particular emphasis was given to the capacity building support provided under the Octopus and the GLACY-e projects to the Caribbean countries for harmonization of their legislation in line with the Budapest Convention and strengthening their capacities to fight against cybercrime.
The delegation expressed interest in continuing to engage with the Council of Europe for receiving specialised support for tackling cybercrime. This included practical steps toward acceding to the Budapest Convention, which currently has a limited number of member parties in the Caribbean region despite growing regional efforts to address cybersecurity.
The meeting provided a deeper understanding of the Council of Europe action on cybercrime and identified synergies for further cooperation between the Council of Europe and Caribbean stakeholders, with the goal of enhancing cyber resilience in the region.
Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe (C-PROC)