Norway signs Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime
Norway has become the 51st state to sign the Second Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention, aimed at improving international cooperation and access to electronic evidence in cybercrime investigations.
On 9 July 2025, Norway officially signed the Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime, also known as the Budapest Convention. The signing took place in Strasbourg, where Ambassador Helge Seland, Permanent Representative of Norway to the Council of Europe, endorsed the treaty in the presence of Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge. Norway’s signature brings the total number of signatories to 51, including two states that have ratified the Protocol and 49 others that have signed but not yet ratified.
Opened for signature in May 2022, the Protocol introduces advanced mechanisms for cross-border cooperation, including direct communication with service providers and domain registrars in other member states and expedited cooperation in emergency situations. It is designed to improve access to electronic evidence needed in cybercrime investigations, while maintaining robust safeguards for human rights and personal data protection.
The Protocol builds upon the existing framework of the Budapest Convention, reinforcing legal instruments for international collaboration in combating cybercrime, with added emphasis on efficiency, accountability, and rule of law compliance.
Why does it matter?
The Second Additional Protocol is part of a broader international effort to modernise legal cooperation in cybercrime cases. While it aims to improve law enforcement’s ability to access digital evidence across borders, civil society has a stake in ensuring that such tools are implemented with transparency and strong human rights safeguards.
