Joint Statement on the Proposed Cybercrime Treaty Ahead of the Concluding Session

A joint statement from a coalition of civil society groups and individual
experts argues that the current draft of the UN Cybercrime Convention poses
a threat to human rights and calls for significant changes before it is
adopted.

Concerns:

– The Convention is too broad and could criminalize legitimate online
activities.
– It lacks sufficient safeguards for journalists, activists, and
security researchers.
– It doesn’t adequately protect human rights and privacy.
– It proposes excessive information sharing and monitoring practices.

*Demands:*

– Narrow the scope of the Convention to focus on specific cybercrimes.
– Include protections for legitimate online activities and freedom of
expression.
– Strengthen human rights and data protection safeguards.
– Limit information sharing and require judicial oversight.
– Avoid endorsing surveillance provisions that undermine encryption.

“The outcome of the treaty negotiation process should only be deemed
acceptable if it effectively incorporates strong and meaningful safeguards
to protect human rights, ensures legal clarity for fairness and due
process, and fosters international cooperation under the rule of law.” Civil
Society Groups Raise Concerns Over Proposed UN Cybercrime Convention |
KICTANet Think Tank
<www.kictanet.or.ke/civil-society-groups-raise-concerns-over-proposed-un-cybercrime-convention/>