On 24 April 2026, a working meeting was organised by the Council of Europe CyberUA project for presenting the procedures for international cooperation within the framework of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. The event built on the systematic work aimed at improving the legal framework in the field of the use of electronic evidence in criminal proceedings, war crimes included.

The meeting brought together representatives of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, law enforcement agencies, the prosecutors, as well as the National Academy of Internal Affairs.

The Secretariat of the 24/7 Network established under the Budapest Convention presented the role and practical functions of this channel for cooperation in accordance with the Budapest Convention and its Second Additional Protocol. A particular emphasis was given to the network’s powers in accordance with Articles 9 and 10 of the Second Additional Protocol for expedited disclosure of data in emergency situations, procedure for preservation of electronic evidence, as well as requirements for the organization of the work of national contact points.

The workshop focused on discussing the functioning of the 24/7 contact point in Ukraine, the importance of 24/7 availability, clear standard operating procedures, and direct communication between competent authorities.

Furthermore, during the discussions attention was paid to practical aspects of handling international requests, including the procedure for their submission, requirements for their form and content, issues of verification of received and sent data, as well as timelines for their processing. Participants emphasized the need for clear legal regulation and the unification of terminology.

This inter-agency format of the meeting made it possible to combine the practical experience of different institutions and focus on common challenges and to put forward recommendations for wider use of the 24/7 Contact Point in Ukraine.