Thursday 7th May, 2026
Papua New Guinea has formally acceded to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, the world’s leading international treaty for tackling online crime and strengthening cooperation across borders.
Acting Minister for Information and Communications Technology, Hon. Peter Tsiamalili Jr., announced the milestone today stating that it now places Papua New Guinea within the principal global legal framework for international cooperation on cybercrime and electronic evidence.
“This is a major milestone for our country; Cybercrime is no longer a distant issue. It affects our people through online scams, identity theft, financial fraud, child exploitation, cyberbullying, ransomware, data breaches, and attacks on critical digital infrastructure,” Tsiamalili stated.
The Budapest Convention, established by the Council of Europe, is the first international treaty designed to combat crimes committed via the internet and other computer networks. It helps countries:
- Harmonise cybercrime laws
- Strengthen investigative powers
- Preserve and access electronic evidence
- Cooperate quickly across borders
The Minister emphasized that accession is only the beginning, with immediate focus now on implementation. He has directed the Department of ICT to work with NICTA, the Department of Justice and Attorney General, the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, the Office of the Public Prosecutor, the courts, FASU, and other agencies to prepare a national capacity-building program.
This program will focus on:
- Strengthening PNG’s cybercrime legal and regulatory framework
- Establishing international cooperation mechanisms
- Enhancing the 24/7 cybercrime contact point and evidence response capability
- Training police, prosecutors, magistrates, judges, regulators, and policy officers
- Improving digital forensics and evidence preservation
- Aligning implementation with PNG’s broader cybersecurity and digital transformation agenda
Minister Tsiamalili added that it is important that PNG now move quickly to draw down available international technical assistance and capacity-building support. We must not allow this opportunity to sit idle.
“Cybercrime is borderless. Our response must therefore be legally grounded, internationally connected, and institutionally capable. Papua New Guinea’s accession to the Budapest Convention sends a clear message: we are serious about protecting our people, our economy, our institutions, and our digital future.”