A two-day Forum dedicated to enhancing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for co-operation between Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs) and law enforcement agencies convened in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 15 to 16 September 2026. The event was supported by the CyberEast+, a joint project of the European Union and of the Council of Europe, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen action against cyberattacks and promoting stakeholders’ collaboration.

The Forum brought together representatives of the CSIRTs, law enforcement bodies, judicial authorities, cybersecurity industry actors and Council of Europe international experts.

The expert contribution was given by Council of Europe consultants, in co-operation with a representative of the e-Governance Academy (eGA) as part of the EU-funded project on Improving Cyber Resilience in Eastern Partnership Countries 2.0.

During the event participants addressed roles and responsibilities, cross-border co-operation frameworks, effective means of reporting and categorisation of cyber incidents, legal compliance and sensitive data handling, as well as evidence preservation and applying digital forensics.

Azerbaijani representatives also focussed on good practices for using Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) to develop comprehensive cyber threat analyses.  

Ms Jeyran Jafarova, the representative of the Department of International Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, highlighted that a unified national approach was set out in the Information Security and Cybersecurity Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2023–2027 and its Action Plan. This Strategy is aimed at strengthening the protection of the country’s digital environment, countering cyberthreats and increasing public awareness of information security.

Furthermore,  Ms Jafarova emphasised that, since becoming a Party to the Convention on Cybercrime , Azerbaijan has introduced relevant amendments to its legislation, including the Criminal Code, and has taken the measures necessary for its implementation. Attention is currently being devoted to appropriate legislative amendments concerning electronic evidence, an area in which effective domestic procedures as the current SOPs and cross-border co-operation are increasingly important.

The Forum facilitated the finalisation of the SOPs which ensure that the international standards and principles cater to the specific needs of Azerbaijani stakeholders, and that they can be successfully put into practice. Participants also identified pertinent activities to operationalise the SOPs, which are expected to be implemented during 2027, as part of the national regulatory framework.

The CyberEast+ project will continue to support co-operation between criminal justice and cybersecurity responses to cyberthreats in the Republic of Azerbaijan, through dedicated capacity building initiatives.

CyberEast+ Project

Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention)

eGA: Improving Cyber Resilience in Eastern Partnership countries 2.0