As the world evolves towards a new “normal”, the use of and reliance on information technology has become more and more pervasive in society. Targeting and illegally exploiting computer systems and malicious software have also become increasingly common. The COVID-19 global pandemic has spurred an unprecedented increase in cyber-based illegal activities.
In line with this global trend, the African continent, the fastest growing region of the world for Internet penetration and for use of mobile-based financial services, has become an increasingly attractive area for cybercriminals.
Heterogeneous legal frameworks, lack of national strategies, and information infrastructures that are still scarcely secured in a number of countries has made the African region a vulnerable target for cyber-criminal activities. A direct impact is evidenced not only on citizens, but also – and most worryingly – on the social stability of the States.
Many countries in Africa have made it a high-level priority to focus on developing cybercrime laws and policies capable to efficiently criminalize such illegal acts and allow effective international cooperation between criminal justice authorities, in line with international standards.
In the given context the African Union Commission, the European Union and the Council of Europe (GLACY+ and Octopus Project) in partnership with other partners decided to join the efforts for organizing the Second African Forum aiming to find new modalities of strengthening international cooperation against all forms of cybercrime.
The Forum will be organised as an online event of two days, respectively focusing on:
- Cybercrime policies and legislative updates in Africa
- International cooperation on cybercrime and electronic evidence
In parallel to the main event, regional hubs are organised by the Council of Europe (30 June) and INTERPOL (29 June – 6 July).
