
Multistakeholder webinars on the Second Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention in LATAM countries

The Octopus project of the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Joint EU/CoE GLACY+ project are organising a series of multistakeholder webinars / roundtables in the Latin America region with the aim to raise awareness about the benefits of the Second Additional Protocol, and explain its provisions to civil society, data protection experts amongst other stakeholders. This is envisaged to support acceptance of the Protocol in the region and will facilitate internal accession procedures in respective countries with a view of using the toolkit offered by the 2nd Additional protocol to the Budapest Convention once it is adopted and opened for signature.
The multistakeholder roundtables will be organised in November 2021 and February 2022, June 2022 (dates TBC).

Background
The aim of the Second Additional Protocol is to enhance cooperation on cybercrime and electronic evidence in specific criminal investigations and proceedings, whilst ensuring that every action is subject to a strong system of human rights and rule of law safeguards, especially when it comes to protecting personal data.
It is expected that the new Protocol will be adopted in November 2021 and opened for signature in March 2022.
Objectives
The purpose of this series of events is to bring together different stakeholders from the Latin American countries and introduce to them the provisions and tools offered by the Second Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention.
Moreover, the benefit of the new tools to be introduced by the Protocol will be explained, as well as how this mechanism can be applied for effective access to electronic evidence and protection of victims.
Outcomes
The series of webinars is expected to:
create awareness among the participants over current challenges in cross border investigations and the triggers and necessity of introducing the new tools and procedures under the Second Additional Protocol;
enable various stakeholders in the Latin American countries to be acquainted with the provisions and tools offered by the Second Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and the impact that the Protocol is expected to have in terms of international cooperation on cybercrime and electronic evidence;
discuss possible ways and facilitate future harmonising of the domestic legislation with the new tools for enhanced cooperation on cybercrime and electronic evidence.
Resources
Council of Europe, Budapest Convention
Council of Europe, Second Additional Protocol

