United Nations

To respond effectively to cyber organized crime in West Africa, policymakers, criminal justice practitioners and other stakeholders need an in-depth understanding of the topic to make informed decisions and to better address the security threats deriving from cyber organized crime.

Discussing cyber organized crime and effective responses to it with reference to actual criminal cases and international law-enforcement operations, was the main focus of a regional workshop on "Cyber Organized Crime in West Africa" which took place in Abidjan on 7-8 December. The workshop was organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) with the financial support of the Federal Republic of Germany and warm hospitality of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire.

The workshop was opened by Ms. Ruth Aurélie Kouankam Schlick, Officer-in-Charge Head of UNODC Programme Office in Abidjan and Mr. Kouassi Bernard, Director of Cabinet of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights of Côte d'Ivoire. While sensitizing the workshop participants to the enormous cost of cyber organized crime globally, Mr. Kouassi Bernard encouraged all ten present countries of the region to unite their forces in countering cyber organized crime. 

40 participants (24 men and 16 women) from Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, INTERPOL and UNODC gathered to discuss cyber organized crime and relevant cases, as well as to share their challenges, tools and practices in investigating, prosecuting and adjudicating this type of crime. The participants learned about UNODC’s and INTERPOL’s tools to combat cyber organized crime, including SHERLOC Knowledge Management Portal; cyber organized crime modus operandi; the importance of international cooperation and the use of special investigative techniques in transnational investigations. During other workshop sessions, the participants also discussed best practices in handling electronic evidence and tracing proceeds of cyber organized crime, as well as the importance of public-private partnerships in preventing and combating cybercrime.

The regional workshop was also an opportunity to disseminate the key findings of the Digest of Cyber Organize Crime relating to the region and to promote good practices and exchange of information among criminal justice practitioners.

The Digest of Cyber Organized Crime is a publication developed by UNODC which will be soon available in a new updated edition. It aims at shedding light on cases of cyber organized crime from different parts of the world, including West Africa.

According to a participant from Togo the workshop was eye-opening. “I did not know that I can reach out to UNODC, INTERPOL for assistance in combating cybercrime. The workshop re-assured us that we are not alone in tackling cyber organized crime".

Mr. Olusoji Abraham Obideyi from the Nigeria Police Force emphasized that the “regional workshop was such a gender-balanced forum where most countries represented had good representation of the female folks and their contributions were so germane and critical to the objectives of the Workshop. Aside the well informative gathering it was where there were a lot of cross pollination of ideas on the subject matter”.

Another participant, Ms. Victoria Adotey, Prosecution Lead/Coordinator, Cyber Security Authority of Ghana, highlighted that the workshop was “without a doubt, one of the most practical and useful workshops on cybercrime where participants/presenters shared their practical experiences in their various countries to the benefit of all others. A great networking experience too”.

The workshop was organized by the UNODC Regional Hub on Transnational Organized Crime in West and Central Africa in cooperation with the UNODC Global Programme on Implementing the Organized Crime Convention: from Theory to Practice, the Global Programme on Cybercrime, and the Terrorism Prevention Branch.