Papua New Guinea (PNG) has struggled to investigate cybercrimes involving foreign entities due to not being a member of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. This has limited its ability to cooperate internationally and access digital evidence across borders.
Acting Communications Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr announced that PNG will now accede to the Convention, joining over 80 member states, including regional partners like Fiji, Australia, and Vanuatu. He stressed that “cybercrime knows no borders, and neither should our response.”
Although PNG has the Cybercrime Code Act 2016, its legal framework lacks detailed procedures and global interoperability. By joining the Convention, PNG will:
- Be able to request and exchange digital evidence internationally,
- Respond to crimes like child exploitation, scams, and ransomware attacks more effectively,
- Cooperate through the Convention’s 24/7 Network for rapid law enforcement support.
Key agencies like the RPNGC Cybercrime Unit, Office of the Public Prosecutor, Department of ICT, and NICTA will lead implementation, supported by a draft standard operating procedure developed during a recent cybercrime exercise in Nadi, Fiji (Aug 4–5, 2025).
PNG’s participation in this regional training marks an important step toward aligning its cybercrime response with international standards and building the operational capacity to engage in cross-border investigations.
Minister Tsiamalili noted that the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, through its Crimes Division and Cybercrime Unit, is well placed to lead this work, supported by the Office of the Public Prosecutor for legal processes, the Department of Justice and Attorney General for mutual legal assistance, and the technical expertise of the Department of ICT and the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA), including PNG Computer Emergency Response Team and the National Cyber Security Centre.
The Minister confirmed that PNG’s recent participation at the Council of Europe–supported regional cybercrime exercise held in Nadi, Fiji from 4-5 August 2025 has provided valuable exposure to the operational demands of the 24/7 Network and laid the groundwork for PNG’s future accession to the Budapest Convention.
PNG was represented at this exercise by Assistant Commissioner Police (Crimes) Hodges Ette; Tapas Kametan, Senior Legal Officer, Proceeds of Crime & International Crime Cooperation, Office of the Public Prosecutor; and Oala Moi, Chief Legal Officer, NICTA. The Council of Europe paid for the costs of each of the PNG participants.
Meanwhile, the three PNG delegates have a draft zero of a standard operating procedure for a 24/7 point of contact for PNG and this was developed because of the training in Nadi, Fiji. It will be proposed to PNG stakeholders at a future workshop for further improvement and endorsement in anticipation of PNG’s accession to the Budapest Convention.
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