Regional Workshop on
International and Regional Cooperation to Combat Cybercrime
19 ,August, 2015
TAJIKISTAN, 19 August 2015 - A two-day regional workshop on "
International and Regional Cooperation to Combat Cybercrime" was successfully concluded on 19 August 2015 by adopting a set of recommendation/conclusions for promoting in promoting regional cooperation to prevent and combat cybercrime. The regional workshop was organized under the UNODC Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring countries, Sub-programme 2 on "
International/Regional Cooperation in Legal Matters", in close cooperation with INTERPOL, the OSCE Border Management Staff College and the European Commission. The training brought together senior-level experts/officials from Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Comprehensive domestic legislation and its application to combat the use of new technologies for illicit financial flows was at the center of the regional workshop which provided an enabling environment for sharing best practices in promoting international and regional co-operation as well as supporting the existing working groups with the aim of improving regional co-operation to counter cybercrime.
Key topics addressed at the regional workshop included: i) updates, amendments or critical changes made to domestic legislation in order to effectively combat the use of new technologies for cybercrime and illicit financial flows, ii) strengthening existing working groups/joint investigative teams and options to improve regional cooperation to combat cybercrime, iii) trade of illicit drugs via the internet, and iv) investigation of money laundering using virtual currencies, and seizing and confiscating virtual currencies.
In the outcome document/conclusions of the regional workshop, the participating countries highlighted i) the importance of establishing/reinforcing a Cyber Police, and/or specialized cybercrime unit(s), within regional countries in order to better prevent and combat cybercrime as well as strengthening better inter-agency cooperation at the regional level, ii) the importance of preparing, drafting and developing new national laws, as well as strengthening existing laws, to prevent and combat cybercrime, iii) the importance of support from international organizations, including UNODC, in the area of capacity building on issues related to electronic evidence for central authorities and law enforcement focal points engaged in international cooperation, as well as the facilitation of cooperation in practice, including through use of tools such as the UNODC Mutual Legal Assistance Writer Tool, iv) the need for regional countries to promote closer cooperation between law enforcement agencies responsible for combating cybercrime and FIUs in order to facilitate effective exchange of relevant information, and v) the need for regional countries to promote closer cooperation between law enforcement agencies responsible for combatting cybercrime, with agreed channels of communication and information sharing through, inter alia, strengthening bilateral relations in the field at the inter-state and interagency levels by the signing of memorandum of understanding.
The participating Regional Programme countries also requested UNODC to support the countries of the region in information exchange, and the holding of conferences, workshops and technical training courses, including inter alia on relevant research and studies on preventing and combating all forms of cybercrime and money laundering committed using the 'Darknet' and through the means of virtual currencies.