Regional African Workshop on engaging female and male parliamentarians in Africa in promoting (i) universality and implementation of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and its two Additional Protocols and (ii) raising awareness on the differentiated impact of cyber incidents on the basis of gender

PGA’s International Peace and Security Program (IPSP) successfully organized a Regional African Workshop on engaging female and male parliamentarians in Africa in promoting (i) universality and implementation of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and its two Additional Protocols and (ii) raising awareness on the differentiated impact of cyber incidents on the basis of gender that was held in Lilongwe, Malawi, on 3-4 April 2023. The workshop was organized with the kind support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands and in cooperation with the National Assembly of Malawi. 27 Parliamentarians and Government Officials from Malawi, Cameroon, Comoros, Eswatini, Kenya, DRC, Seychelles, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe participated in the Workshop.

PGA's IPSP and participants were honored to have the Hon. Speaker of the Parliament of Malawi, Hon. Catherine Gotani Hara, open the Regional African Workshop. The Hon. Speaker's presence demonstrated the commitment of the Parlement of Malawi to combat cybercrime. During the workshop, each national delegation had the opportunity to give a brief presentation on the progress made by their respective countries in the fight against cybercrime and towards accession/ratification of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and its Additional Protocols. The C/PROC office of the Council of Europe provided a presentation on the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and its Additional Protocols. A legal expert from South Africa provided a presentation on the Malabo Convention and how cybercrime disproportionately impacts women in Africa and how to combat this issue.

After vivid debates and exchanges, the Parliamentary Participants adopted the Lilongwe Plan of Action, which outlines concrete steps that parliamentarians can take towards the ratification/accession to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and its Additional Protocols and, to combat cybercrime more generally.

PGA’s International Peace and Security Program will now follow-up bilaterally with participants in the coming months to encourage and facilitate the taking of one or more initiatives/steps pursuant to the Lilongwe Plan of Action, offering guidance and advice, as requested, appropriate and applicable.

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