KIC & Virtual Forum against Cybercrime

The idea of creating a Virtual Forum originally emanated from the 11th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, held in Bangkok (Thailand) in 2005. In the Declaration adopted by the Congress and later endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly, the Congress noted that:

"In the current period of globalization, information technology and the rapid development of new telecommunication and computer network systems have been accompanied by the abuse of those technologies for criminal purposes. We therefore welcome efforts to enhance and supplement existing cooperation to prevent, investigate and prosecute high-technology and computer-related crime, including by developing partnerships with the private sector. We recognize the important contribution of the United Nations to regional and other international forums in the fight against cybercrime and invite the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, taking into account that experience, to examine the feasibility of providing further assistance in that area under the aegis of the United Nations in partnership with other similarly focused organizations"(A/RES/60/177, para.16).

At the same Congress, KIC organized a workshop on Measures to Combat Computer-Related Crime."The Workshop highlighted the need to strengthen cooperation in combating against cybercrime. In the Workshop, it was noted that;

"... Consideration should be given to the establishment of a virtual forum or online research network to encourage communication among experts throughout the world on the issue of computer-related crime; (para.340 (a)). Technical assistance and training should be provided by UNODC (to States) in order to address the lack of capacity and expertise to deal with the problems of computer-related crime. International cooperation should be developed in the areas of information exchange, research and analysis concerning computer-related crime."(A/CONF.203/18, para. 340 (b).

KIC presented the outcome of the Workshop at the 14th session of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in 2005. The Crime Commission noted in its report that;

"The observer for the Korean Institute of Criminology made a presentation on the Workshop on Measures to Combat Computer-Related Crime. The Outcome of the Workshop could be practically translated into a proposed technical assistance project on the prevention and control of cybercrime, the scope of which would be the development of a model training course for law enforcement personnel from developing countries with a rolling curriculum that included control and prevention. An expert group meeting was to be held in Seoul in 2006, with the participation of the institutes of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme network and the private sector, to develop the project to produce the model training course. The project would include a virtual expert forum under the auspices of UNODC to facilitate the exchange of information on new trends and approaches in the fight against cybercrime"(E/CN.15/2005/20, para. 52)

In the light of the above mandate, UNODC and KIC proposed the Virtual Forum to provide educational and practical support for law enforcement personnel, engaged in the prevention and control of cybercrime, in Asian developing countries, and to foster research network on cybercrime.