Introduction HIPCAR – Cybercrime/e-Crimes Although the development of new technologies is focused mainly on meeting consumer demands in western countries, developing countries have – despite the remaining need for further enhancement – undertaken significant progress in narrowing the gap, especially with regard to access to information.16 In 2005, the number of Internet users in developing countries surpassed the number in the industrialised nations.17 With the growing connectivity and the transformation of traditional business into e-commerce, cybercrime is no longer an issue only for developed, but also for developing countries.18 However, developing countries in general – and small island countries in particular – face a number of specific challenges while implementing legislation. While the crimes that they are facing are up to a certain extent the same as those that developed countries are confronted with, developing countries have special demands when it comes to the response. Developed countries might, for example, be able to afford a so-called 24/7 network point for international mutual legal assistance requests. Developing countries often do not have the capacity to maintain such infrastructure. It is therefore essential that developing countries take into consideration international standards as well as their specific situation when developing an anti-cybercrime strategy in general and Cybercrime legislation in particular. 16 17 18 Regarding the possibilities and technology available to access the Internet in developing countries, see: Esteve/Machin, Devices to access Internet in Developing countries, available at: www2007.org/workshops/paper_106.pdf. See “Development Gateway’s Special Report, Information Society – Next Steps?”, 2005, available at: http://topics.developmentgateway.org/special/informationsociety. The specific demands of developing countries are addressed in the ITU publication “Understanding Cybercrime: A Guide for Developing Countries” that was published in 2009 and is made available free of charge in all six UN languages. > Model Policy Guidelines & Legislative Text 9