ICT hub Mauritius focuses on legal measures to crack down on cybercrime
The GLACY (Global Action on Cybercrime) Project will implement the principles of the Budapest Convention, and Mauritius is one among the six priority countries selected to benefit from the GLACY project. (Image: Council of Europe Cybercrime)
Legal measures play an important role in the prevention of and fight against cybercrime, according to Mauritius ICT Minister Tassarajen Pillay Chedumbrum.
The Mauritius ICT Ministry, in collaboration with the ICT Authority (ICTA), organized an explanatory workshop on the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime today at Le Labourdonnais Waterfront Hotel in Port Louis to provide an in-depth understanding of the Convention and its principles.
In addition, a presentation on “Cybercrime: A regulatory perspective” was made by the ICTA during the workshop.
The objective behind this workshop was to release an initial situation report prepared by a Project Team from the Council of Europe on implementation of provisions contained in the Convention.
In his opening address, the ICT Minister said that cybercrime is a term that no longer needs introduction.
Chedumbrum observed that cybercrime occurs when there are a limited number of acts against the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data or systems.
He added that the government believes that legal measures play an important role in the prevention of and fight against cybercrime as well as in areas such as criminalization, procedural powers, jurisdiction, international cooperation and internet service provider responsibility and liability.
It is to be noted that the Budapest Convention, to which Mauritius acceded in November 2013, has as its main objective the pursuance of a common criminal policy to protect society against cybercrime.
The GLACY (Global Action on Cybercrime) Project will implement the principles of the Budapest Convention, and Mauritius is one among the six priority countries selected to benefit from the GLACY project.
GLACY is a joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe aimed at supporting countries worldwide in the implementation of the Budapest Convention.
Its specific objective is to enable criminal justice authorities to engage in international cooperation on cybercrime and electronic evidence on the basis of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime.
Further to a Project Team from the Council of Europe, which was in Mauritius last February for working sessions with respective Ministries and Departments to do a needs assessment of how best to implement these provisions, the Council of Europe has submitted an initial situation report and a work plan for Mauritius.