Tonga has become the 55^th Party to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime Treaty, allowing for effective international cooperation on cybercrime and electronic evidence.

Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe said Tonga’s accession to the Budapest Convention is further evidence of the global reach of this treaty.

“The efforts by Tonga to bring domestic legislation in line with the Convention and to strengthen criminal justice capacities are setting an example for the Pacific Island region.”

Tonga’s Deputy Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni underlined that the arrival of high-speed internet via broadband connection in 2013 brought many opportunities in terms of e-commerce, e-government and access to information, for example. Cybercriminals exploit the very same opportunities.

“This is why joining the Budapest Convention, accompanied by technical assistance, is so important for Tonga and for the Pacific region."

Tonga’s accession on 9 May, is the result of cooperation with the Council of Europe since 2010.

 In 2014, when Tonga requested accession to the Budapest Convention, it became a priority country under the Global Action on Cybercrime (GLACY [2]), a capacity building project of the Council of Europe and the European Union.