CAPACITY BUILDING IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION New Zealand is committed to the maintenance of stability and security in cyberspace. Improving confidence and understanding of cyber security issues is an important part of international stability. Although the national response to cybercrime is still being developed, nevertheless New Zealand is relatively well-placed to contribute to building capacity in the Asia-Pacific region. As the Pacific region becomes more connected, the opportunities for cybercriminals will increasingly affect economic growth and regional security. Pacific states are also likely to be targets for criminal activity as criminals seek legislative settings that are less likely to facilitate their arrest and conviction. Work with Pacific island states to identify gaps in their capability to respond to cybercrime and undertake capacity building activities in the Asia-Pacific region. New Zealand is one of 42 founding members of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE), launched at the 4th Global Conference on Cyber Space in the Hague in 2015. The GFCE is intended to give momentum to global cyber security capacity building. New Zealand’s capacity building activities will assist in building a more secure, open and accessible cyberspace that delivers broad-based economic and social benefits. Efforts will focus on raising awareness of the opportunities and risks cyberspace offers and ways to manage those; along with practical solutions to raise the policy and operational capacity of law enforcement and other government agencies to respond cyber security risks. National Plan to Address Cybercrime 2015 15