CYBERCRIME SUPPORTING STRONGER CYBERCRIME LEGISLATION IN TONGA Australia worked closely with Tonga to strengthen its legislative capacity to respond to cybercrime threats and meet the obligations of the Budapest Convention by: • facilitating a gap analysis of Tonga’s legislation against the requirements of the Budapest Convention with an official from Tonga’s Attorney General’s Office (AGO) in 2014 through the Pacific Legal Policy Development Twinning Program; • working with Tonga’s AGO to draft a Computer Crimes Bill that ensured Tonga’s legislation met its obligations under the Budapest Convention; and • assisting Tonga’s AGO with its consultations on the new Computer Crimes Bill prior to its introduction to Parliament during 2017. Assisted by this collaboration, on 9 May 2017 Tonga became the first Pacific Island country to accede to the Budapest Convention. Tonga’s experience and new legislative framework will provide a valuable model for other countries in the region. PACIFIC ISLANDS LAW OFFICERS’ NETWORK Australia is also helping regional neighbours strengthen their cybercrime legislation by working with the Pacific Islands Law Officers’ Network (PILON). PILON is a network of senior law officers from across the region that addresses law and justice issues common to Pacific countries. PILON’s Strategic Plan 2016–2018 recognises cybercrime as a priority legal issue. Through the network, Australia advocates for the broad adoption of the Pacific Forensic Model Provisions, which provide a consistent framework for the collection and use of electronic evidence. Australia will support future PILON activities in this area, building on its funding of the Pacific Cybercrime Workshop held in Tonga during May 2017 in partnership with PILON, the Tongan Government, and the Council of Europe. This initiative is complemented by the 2017 expansion of Cyber Safety Pasifika (CSP). The program now includes legislation and policy development activities, with Australia working in partnership with PILON and the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police. Australia will also support the Council of Europe’s Global Action on Cybercrime Extended capacity building project (GLACY+) and Cybercrime@Octopus project that supports the adoption and implementation of the Budapest Convention in the Indo‑Pacific. 37