UN initiates comprehensive study on cybercrime
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says it has initiated a comprehensive study on the problem of cybercrime and the responses to it by Member States, the international community and the private sector.
The agency’s Executive Director Yury Fedotov who announced this at a global risks meeting at the just-ended 2012 World Economic Forum said “Member States would shortly receive a questionnaire from UNODC on cybercrime prevention, policy, legislation, law enforcement and criminal justice response, international cooperation and technical assistance.”
The results of the study will be presented to the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in 2013 and will inform Member States’ responses to cybercrime, said the UNODC January 26, 2012.
“Many countries lack basic legislation that either criminalizes cybercrime or provides for the necessary procedural powers for law enforcement authorities to carry out specialized investigation, such as interception of online traffic data or use of computer forensic software,” Mr. Fedotov said in a statement.
The agency indicated that the study is in line with its mandate to contribute to a greater understanding of the threat of cybercrime and to provide technical assistance and training to States to improve national legislation and build capacity to deal with cybercrime.
By Ekow Quandzie