OECD ministerial meeting in Seoul, South Korea
Council of Europe calls upon governments to sign up to its Cybercrime Convention

Strasbourg, 12.06.2008 – Europe’s primary human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, will participate in the OECD ministerial meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy in Seoul, South Korea, from 17-18 June. At the meeting, Deputy Secretary General Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, will encourage governments to accede to the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime – the only internationally binding instrument against cybercrime.

“Any successful campaign against cybercrime will have to be as global as cybercrime itself. The Council of Europe Convention provides the platform for such global co-operation, and this is why other countries should join as soon as possible. From the outset, the Convention was conceived as a global instrument. It is not only a European treaty, it is a treaty drafted in Europe to serve the world,” said Mrs de Boer-Buquicchio, who will address the round table on “Building Confidence” on 18 June.

The Deputy Secretary General will also have bilateral meetings with the South Korean Vice-Minister of Justice, Sung-woo Moon, and the Deputy Secretary General of the OECD, Pier Carlo Padoan.

Notes
* The Convention on Cybercrime has been signed by a total of 44 countries and is a source of inspiration for many others looking to amend their legislation, such as Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and the Philippines.

* On 3 April, the Council of Europe adopted guidelines to help law enforcement bodies and Internet service providers improve cooperation on the investigation of cybercrime and fight web-based crimes such as child pornography, identity theft and other forms of fraud, as well as denial of service attacks (see www.coe.int/cybercrime).

* The recently-adopted Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse also offers states a valuable new tool for preventing and combating every kind of violation of children’s fundamental rights, including grooming (the manipulation of children by adults online for sexual purposes).

* The Council of Europe will contribute to the next meeting of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum to be held in Hyderabad (India) in December 2008.

Further information on the Council of Europe’s activities is available at www.coe.int

For more information on the OECD meeting, visit www.oecd.org/FutureInternet or www.OECDMinisterialSeoul2008.org.