ODPP hosts conference for better understanding of cybercrime in Fiji

In a bid to increase the mutual understanding of the needs and challenges of criminal justice authorities in Fiji when dealing with cybercrime cases and electronic evidence, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution in collaboration with stakeholders has organised a National Cybercrime Conference and e-evidence for Prosecutors that is currently underway in Nadi.

Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo says this conference is a significant step towards enhancing their collective capacity to combat cybercrime.

Vosarogo says they need to use this platform to engage in meaningful dialogue, share insights, and strengthen their resolve to protect the digital future.

The Minister says that it is incumbent on us in our great Pacific Ocean to walk this together to chart our way forward and to ensure that we preserve the vast Pacific Ocean we call our home.

European Union Ambassador to the Pacific, Barbara Plinkert underlined the EU’s investment in international cyber cooperation to promote a global, open, stable and secure cyberspace, grounded in the rule of law, human rights and democratic values.

Plinkert says one of the priority areas of the European Union’s strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region is to foster cooperation for a safe and secure digital space with our partners. She says this includes strengthening capacity-building for partners to tackle cybercrime, which is of growing concern in the European Union and the Pacific, through the use of existing standards, cooperation mechanisms and tools available under the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime.

She adds the European Union is therefore glad to support the National Conference on Cybercrime which will empower the participants to build cooperation mechanisms, trust and skills to share data for investigation, prosecution and ultimately, reduction of cybercrimes.

ODPP says over 100 participants including officers from their office, police officers and investigators, officers from the Legal Aid Commission and Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption are part of this two-day conference.

ODPP in collaboration with the Global Action on Cybercrime Enhanced joint project of the European Union and Council of Europe and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime have organised the conference.