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.

A coalition of digital-rights organisations, including Global Partners Digital, Fundación Karisma and Access Now, has issued an open letter raising concerns about the draft Rules of Procedure for the Conference of States Parties to the UN Cybercrime Convention. They argue that the emerging oversight mechanism risks weakening transparency and restricting civil-society participation, departing from the more inclusive standards set during the Ad Hoc Committee negotiations. The letter urges member states to replicate the AHC’s open accreditation model, avoid restrictive practices seen under UNTOC and UNCAC, and ensure strong mechanisms for independent monitoring and public access to documentation.