Cybercrime is a complex and rapidly evolving transnational phenomenon that poses a significant threat to human rights, democracy and the rule of law as well as to national and international security. Moreover, with the increasing use of information and communication technologies, any type of crime may entail evidence on computer systems. Such electronic evidence is often stored in foreign, multiple, shifting or unknown jurisdictions; obtaining e-evidence poses major challenges to criminal justice authorities.
This is equally true for Africa where the internet use has evolved rapidly. The continent had around 570 million internet users in 2022, a number that more than doubled compared to 2015 and that placed the region ahead of other regions such as North America, South America and the Middle East. As of January 2022, Morocco had an internet penetration of approximately 84.1 percent, making it the country with the highest internet penetration in Africa.
Adressing cybercrime has become a priority for many African countries that have adopted domestic legislation and taken steps towards adhering to agreements such as the Budapest on Cybercrime and the Malabo Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection in order to facilitate international cooperation.
Morocco is a Party to the Budapest Convention since 2018 and the first African signatory of its Second Addition Protocol on Enhanced Co-operation and the Disclosure of Electronic Evidence, which was open for signature on 12 May 2022.
Effective international co-operation has never been more relevant. Strengthened co-operation among African countries and at international level, as well as with the private sector, academia and civil society is further needed.
The benefits of such a cooperative approach was reconfirmed on the occasion of the First African Forum on Cybercrime and the Second African Forum organised by the African Union Commission and the Council of Europe and supported by INTERPOL, the European Union, UNODC, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the U.S. Department of Justice, Global Forum on Cyber Expertise, ECOWAS and many others.
In order to add further impetus to efforts on cybercrime by African countries, the Ministry of Justice of Morocco and the Council of Europe have, therefore, agreed to jointly organise the present conference.
Objective and expected results
The objective of the conference is to foster public/private and international cooperation on cybercrime and electronic evidence in Africa and in line with international standards.
By the end of the conference participants will have:
- shared experience on current threats and trends on cybercrime and measures taken to counter such threats;
- better knowledge of policies, legislation and other measures taken by countries as well as of good practices regarding public/private cooperation and international cooperation;
- better understanding of the tools available under the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and its new Second Protocol on enhanced cooperation and disclosure of electronic evidence and of the benefits of being Parties to this framework;
- identified strategic priorities to address the challenges of cybercrime and electronic evidence, including needs for further capacity building.
Participants
- Senior officials from relevant ministries, including policy makers and legislators, representatives from the criminal justice sector and other national stakeholders with an active role in the cybercrime domain.
- You are kindly asked to register for the event by using the registration form.
Administrative Details
- Venue: the conference will be an in-presence event, taking place near Rabat, Morocco, venue TBC.
- Interpretation: simultaneous interpretation in Arabic, English, French and Portuguese languages will be provided
- Photos and livestreaming: Photos of the event will be taken and may be published online or on other promotional material of the Council of Europe. The event will be livestreamed on a dedicated webpage, accessible only to the registered participants.
- Travel: all transfers from/to the venue from both Rabat and Casablanca airports will be organised by the Council of Europe, according to the flight schedule of the participants.
Please, bring the following documents with you while travelling to enter Morocco:
- Passport
- Flight ticket (round trip)
- Invitation Letter
- Travel insurance
- Yellow fever vaccination certificate (if required)
- Original visa application form (if required)
- Visa: it is your responsibility to obtain the visa (if required) to enter Morocco.
Information on visa requirements to enter Morocco is available here: https://www.consulat.ma/fr/visas-ordinaires. Please also ensure that you meet the visa requirements for all countries that you may transit through during your travel to Morocco.
- Health information: on 30 September 2022, Morocco lifted the obligation to present a vaccine pass or a PCR test to enter the country. A proof of yellow fever vaccination is required when coming from countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission (including, sometimes, if you transit through such countries). Please, check the vaccination requirements with your Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If you are unable to travel, please inform the person that booked your flight as soon as possible. The day before departure, kindly check the airline website for any updates regarding your flight.
Resources
Second African Forum webpage
Budapest Convention on cybercrime
Consult the Global State of Cybercrime Legislation 2013-2023: A Cursory Overview (version 31 December 2022)
Day 1 - 6 March 2023
- Welcoming remarks
- Threats and current trends on cybercrime
- International frameworks: Overview of the Budapest and Malabo Conventions
- Legislation, policies and strategies on cybercrime
- Key findings and conclusions
Day 2 - 7 March 2023
- Tools of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and its protocols
- Regional and international initiatives
- Cooperation with the private sector and academia
- Capacity building initiatives in the fight against cybercrime
- Key findings and conclusions
Download the full agenda.
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