HIBAPRESS
On Saturday, Morocco signed the United Nations Convention on Cybercrime in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, as part of an international conference held in this regard with the participation of about 60 countries.
Morocco was represented at this conference, which was attended by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, by the Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi. The General Assembly of the United Nations had adopted this convention last December, and it is scheduled to enter into force 90 days after its ratification by the countries. In a speech on this occasion, Ouahbi said that this meeting rises to the ranks of historic stations and events of great symbolism and significance at the United Nations level during this decade, pointing to “a turning point in the field of combating modern crimes, and in the face of an ideal embodiment of cooperation between countries to contain these crimes and reduce them.” Ouahbi explained that the Internet has become a major player in our societies, and in recent times it has become a means of accelerating the spread of crimes and expanding their scope, so that criminal acts and behaviors of individuals have become linked to multiple forms of virtual practices within the immaterial system of this network. He added that crimes that affect data and digital and electronic data do not stop harming others, but rather go beyond that to trying to prejudice countries, whether by their political or economic stability. He pointed out that in light of this rapid development of crime, global dynamics have developed that aim to provide digital security and protect automated data processing systems, noting that the degrees and ranks of these dynamics ranged between national initiatives through the establishment of deterrent national laws, to regional initiatives such as the Arab Convention to Combat Information Technology Crimes, or the Budapest Convention with its additional protocols. The minister noted that since the agreement to establish an open-ended intergovernmental expert committee, representing all countries to participate in drafting this document under General Assembly resolution No. 75/282, the Kingdom of Morocco has been involved in this important series, starting from participating in the development of the unified negotiation document, until the preparation of the first version of the convention, pointing out that Morocco, through its active participation alongside the rest of the countries, or through the general sessions or through informal meetings, contributed to shaping the final version of this convention. He considered that reaching an international agreement on combating electronic crime was not an easy matter, especially in light of the current global circumstances, stressing that the series of preparations for this agreement witnessed many conflicts at both the political and technical levels. He stressed in this context that it was necessary for all countries that participated in the negotiations to show a lot of flexibility and openness, “which are the principles that reflected on the convention, which today embodies a mirror of the common understanding of crimes committed through cyberspace, and a title for judicial and technical cooperation between countries in this field.” On the other hand, the minister pointed to the escalation of threats arising from cybercrimes on a global scale, and the serious repercussions it leaves on the social, economic and psychological fabric of societies, noting that “in view of the regional environment of the Kingdom of Morocco, which is witnessing an increase in the activities of extremist groups carrying the discourse of violence and sponsoring terrorism, which have begun to take cyberspace as a means to spread their destructive ideas and incite hatred and bloodshed and spread terror in the hearts of the innocent, the size of the bet on enhancing cyber security as a pillar for protecting individuals and societies and preserving stability stands out more than ever. He mentioned in this context that the Kingdom of Morocco has been involved for a not insignificant period of time in the global dynamics aimed at combating cybercrime, pointing out that, on the one hand, a set of legal frameworks and strategies have been developed that aim to provide ways to develop the digital economy and facilitate individuals' access to technology, and on the other hand, the establishment of a modern and effective institutional and legal framework to confront information crime, by developing a special law on cyber security, and updating other related laws, the most prominent of which are the penal code and the criminal procedure law. Ouahbi added that access to digital evidence has become a challenge for all countries, “and it has become necessary for us to coordinate efforts and overcome traditional methods of criminal investigations and open the way for more effective and flexible international cooperation.” He expressed the Kingdom’s readiness to explore a new dimension of judicial cooperation, through the mechanisms stipulated in this convention, calling for the concerted efforts of all to work on the actual implementation of the provisions of this convention and the development of its procedural mechanisms. He stressed that the Kingdom will remain present to achieve these goals, and its full readiness to cooperate with other countries in order to achieve cyber security for all member states. This new international legal framework aims to enhance international cooperation to combat electronic crimes, which vary in form, and extend from the exploitation of children in pornographic materials to fraud and money laundering operations. Russia had proposed this convention in 2017, and it was approved unanimously last year after lengthy negotiations. This convention constitutes the first international legal framework dedicated to combating electronic crimes.
