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CoE Press Release on Cybercrime Treaty

------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 01:04:45 -0400 From: David Sobel <sobel@epic.org> Subject: CoE Press Release on Cybercrime Treaty To: gilc-plan@gilc.org Send reply to: gilc-plan@gilc.org

http://press.coe.int/cp/2001/646a(2001).htm

646a(2001)

First international treaty to combat crime in cyberspace approved by Ministers' Deputies

Strasbourg, 19.09.2001- The Council of Europe Ministers' Deputies have just approved the Convention on Cybercrime.

The Deputies decided to present the Convention for formal adoption to Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting in Strasbourg on 8 November, with the opening for signature by member states taking place at an international conference in Budapest at the end of November. It will enter into force when five states, at least three of which are members of the Council of Europe, have ratified it.

The Convention will be the first international treaty on crimes committed via the Internet and other computer networks, dealing particularly with infringements of copyright, computer-related fraud, child pornography and violations of network security. It also contains a series of powers and procedures such as the search of computer networks and interception.

Its main objective, set out in the preamble, is to pursue a common criminal policy aimed at the protection of society against cybercrime, especially by adopting appropriate legislation and fostering international co-operation.

The Convention is the product of four years of work by Council of Europe experts, but also by the United States, Canada, Japan and other countries which are not members of the organisation.

It will be supplemented by an additional protocol making any publication of racist and xenophobic propaganda via computer networks a criminal offence.

* * *

In 1997, the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers asked a committee of experts to "draft a binding legal instrument" examining the issues of offences, substantive criminal law, the use of coercive powers - including at international level - and the problem of jurisdiction over computer crimes.

In April 2000, the draft text was declassified - a very unusual step in the drafting of an international legal text - and made public on the Internet so as to garner the opinions of professionals and network users.

In March 2001, the Parliamentary Assembly held a hearing of international experts and then adopted an opinion on the draft text at its April plenary session.

Press Contact Sabine Zimmer, Council of Europe Press Service Tel. +33 3 88 41 25 97 - Fax. +33 3 88 41 27 90 E-mail: PressUnit@coe.int

...................................................................... . David L. Sobel, General Counsel * +1 202 483 1140 (tel) Electronic Privacy Information Center * +1 202 483 1248 (fax) 1718 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Suite 200 * sobel@epic.org Washington, DC 20009 USA * http://www.epic.org .

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