African states to discuss cybercrime

IDG News Service — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:22:30 -0400

ICT ministers from The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) will meet Friday in Praia, Cape Verde, to begin drawing up a report on a preceding meeting on regional guidelines to curb cybercrime.

The report will aim to modernize cybercrime-fighting tools, promote e-commerce and preserve personal data through national and regional legislation, according to a statement released Wednesday by the ECOWAS Commission.

The ministers will also seek to define a path for the implementation of the Supplementary Acts adopted by ECOWAS governments in January 2007 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The Supplementary Acts address ICT policy and legislation, access and interconnection regulation, and universal access, and provide guidelines for a gradual transition to open markets.

In related news, the government of Côte d'Ivoire will address cybercrime at the first African regional cybersecurity conference. Af Cybersec 2008 is slated for Nov. 17 to Nov. 20 in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire, and is being organized by the government in partnership with the Internet Society and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.

The event organizers noted that cybercrime is thriving on the continent due to a lack of IT knowledge by the public and the absence of a suitable legal framework to deal with cybercrime at the national and regional levels.

The gathering will serve as a platform to reflect on these problems, as they "are of concern for all the countries of the world and mainly African countries," the event's Web site stated.

Af Cybersec 2008 will bring together players in the public and private sectors, African civil society groups and experts from international institutions to discuss cybersecurity best practices and a basis for cooperation between African countries in fighting cybercrime.

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African states to discuss cybercrime