Kazakhstan becomes 84th party to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime
Kazakhstan acceded to the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime on 14 October 2026, becoming its 84th party. The treaty will enter into force for the country on 1 February 2027.
Kazakhstan has joined the international treaty framework established by the Council of Europe to address cybercrime, bringing the total number of parties to the Convention on Cybercrime, also known as the Budapest Convention, to 84.
The country acceded to the convention on 14 October 2026. Its provisions will enter into force for Kazakhstan on 1 February 2027.
The convention provides a common legal framework for international cooperation on cybercrime. With Kazakhstan’s accession, two states have signed the treaty without becoming parties, while 11 others have been invited to accede.
Why does it matter?
For Kazakhstan, ratification creates a legal basis for faster cooperation with other parties in investigating transnational cybercrime, including information exchange, mutual legal assistance, extradition, and coordinated action on offences affecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of computer systems and data.
For the wider digital-governance landscape, it is notable because Kazakhstan is a Central Asian state outside the Council of Europe: the Convention is expressly open to non-member states under Article 37, provided they can implement its substantive requirements.
Kazakhstan joins other CIS-region parties including Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Moldova. Its move may strengthen Central Asia’s connection to the Budapest Convention system, although practical impact will depend on domestic implementation, institutional capacity, and how Kazakh authorities use the Convention’s cooperation mechanisms.
