The sixth and what is meant to be final negotiating session for a UN cybercrime treaty ended in August amidst disagreement. The draft new treaty is facing criticism from human rights groups and many others as States head to the concluding session in January 2024 without consensus on fundamental issues such as the treaty?s scope and what constitutes cybercrime. In recent developments, several states reintroduced offences related to extremism and terrorism into the definition of cybercrime. We will assess the implications of these additions which could increase the power of autocratic states to infringe on freedom of expression, promote surveillance and require any signatory States to cooperate on enforcement.
Focus will also be placed on the challenges concerning the lack of safeguards for procedural powers and international cooperation. How this future treaty relates to other international law, such as the Budapest Convention on Cybersecurity, is another concern which will be explored.
We invite you to join us in this online webinar with international experts discussing the new treaty's significance for human rights and cyber accountability at global, regional and national levels in an evolving digital governance landscape.