Convention on Cybercrime

Preamble
The member States of the Council of Europe and the other States signatory hereto,
Considering that the aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve a greater unity between its
members;
Recognising the value of fostering co-operation with the other States parties to this
Convention;
Convinced of the need to pursue, as a matter of priority, a common criminal policy aimed at
the protection of society against cybercrime, inter alia, by adopting appropriate legislation and
fostering international co-operation;
Conscious of the profound changes brought about by the digitalisation, convergence and
continuing globalisation of computer networks;
Concerned by the risk that computer networks and electronic information may also be used
for committing criminal offences and that evidence relating to such offences may be stored
and transferred by these networks;
Recognising the need for co-operation between States and private industry in combating
cybercrime and the need to protect legitimate interests in the use and development of
information technologies;
Believing that an effective fight against cybercrime requires increased, rapid and wellfunctioning international co-operation in criminal matters;
Convinced that the present Convention is necessary to deter action directed against the
confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer systems, networks and computer data as
well as the misuse of such systems, networks and data by providing for the criminalisation of
such conduct, as described in this Convention, and the adoption of powers sufficient for
effectively combating such criminal offences, by facilitating their detection, investigation and
prosecution at both the domestic and international levels and by providing arrangements for
fast and reliable international co-operation.