Egypt is moving ahead with plans to establish the Egyptian–African centre for the prevention and combat of cybercrime in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Communications and Information Technology Minister Amr Talaat said Saturday. The announcement came during a signing ceremony in Hanoi for the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, which Egypt joined earlier the same day. Talaat said the new centre will act as a regional hub for capacity building, technology transfer, and coordination of African and regional efforts to strengthen digital security. He described the project as a model for regional cooperation to combat cyber threats and enhance judicial and law enforcement capabilities in the digital sphere. The minister also invited UN member states and international organisations to attend an upcoming international conference in Cairo, which will focus on implementing the UN cybercrime convention and translating its provisions into concrete policies and cooperative frameworks. Talaat said the convention represents a new phase of collective global action to safeguard digital security, emphasising that cyber protection is a shared international responsibility. He added that justice and the rule of law must underpin the use of information and communication technologies to ensure they serve as tools for peace, development, and inclusive growth. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: Y.Yasser
