African Union adopts Malabo Convention

The African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection, commonly referred to as the Malabo Convention, drafted in 2011, is now adopted. The Convention criminalizes various cyber activities and outlines procedures for the investigation and prosecution of cybercrime.

The Malabo Convention goes beyond cybersecurity and cybercrime, addressing electronic transactions and personal data protection while recognizing the right to privacy. It mandates signatory countries to establish data protection authorities and ensure secure data handling. The Convention promotes international cooperation through mutual legal assistance, information sharing on cyberthreats, and the use of global partnerships to combat cyberthreats, enhance cybersecurity, and foster multistakeholder dialogue. This comprehensive approach makes the Convention a distinctive framework among cybersecurity-related regulations and policies.