Since 2022, when Ecuador was invited to become a Party to the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention), the country took significant steps to develop institutional capacities to investigate and prosecute cybercrime. To further harmonise and consolidate these efforts, Ecuadorian authorities have joined forces in developing a national strategy on addressing cybercrime and electronic evidence.
At the initiative of the Ministry of Interior, representatives of more than 10 national authorities have been invited to a 3-day workshop facilitated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador to work collaboratively on the first draft of the strategy. Participants agreed on a set of objectives covering four main areas of focus: enhancing legislation and governmental capacities, preventing cybercrime targeted at citizens and institutions, addressing transnational criminal structures and improving public-private cooperation and access to e-evidence in criminal investigations.
GLACY-e joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe guided the drafting process and would continue to provide support as the strategy is further being developed. The next steps include roundtable discussions with relevant stakeholders to refine the draft with a view for its envisaged readiness for publication in September 2024.
