Strasbourg, 20/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Council of Europe Ministers' Deputies approved, on Wednesday, the text of a Convention on cybercrime, to be presented for formal adoption to the Foreign Affairs Ministers during their meeting of 8 November in Strasbourg, with the opening for signature by Member States taking place at an international conference in Budapest at the end of November. The convention will come into effect as soon as five States, including at least three 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 is to pursue "a common criminal policy aimed at the protection of society against cybercrime, especially by adopting appropriate legislation and fostering international cooperation". 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.