Octopus Project Activities

Back Octopus Project: Online Workshop on Cybercrime Legislation and Electronic Evidence organised with national authorities of Saint Lucia

The series of online workshops in the Caribbean region continued this week with an event organised between 13-14 April by the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS) and the Council of Europe with national authorities from Saint Lucia.

This activity came as a follow-up to the regional workshop held back in July 2020. It was organised within the framework of the Octopus Project, being supported also by the Organisation of American States (OAS), through the REMJA group (The Meetings of Ministers of Justices, other Ministers, Prosecutors and Attorney Generals of the Americas), and the US Department of Justice.

Representatives from Saint Lucia’s Department of Home Affairs, Justice and National Security, the Attorney General's Chambers and the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force participated in the event.

With the aim to strengthen the capacities of countries in the region to respond to cybercrime, the focus of the discussions was on national legislation on cybercrime and electronic evidence, in terms of definitions, substantive provisions, procedural powers and international cooperation, referring to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime as the international standard largely in use by countries worldwide.

The future Protocol to the Budapest Convention on enhanced cooperation and disclosure of electronic evidence was also introduced as an important instrument that will increase the ability of criminal justice authorities to counter cyber- and other crime, while fully respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Considerable interest was demonstrated by Saint Lucia participants as to the capacity building courses offered by the Council of Europe through the projects implemented by the Cybercrime Programme Office (C-PROC) in countries worldwide.

Through the Octopus Project, the Council of Europe will continue to provide support to countries in the Caribbean region for legislative alignment with international best practices based on the Budapest Convention on cybercrime as a global standard, as well as for further capacity building. The Council of Europe gratefully acknowledges voluntary contributions of the donors to this project.

CARICOM IMPACS website