In a bid to enhance mutual trust between the two sides on the island, the Bicommunal Technical Committee on Crime and Criminal Matters held a seminar on cybercrime on Wednesday at the Ledra Palace Hotel in the buffer zone.
The seminar focused on evaluating preventive measures and collaboration opportunities in response to the rising incidents of cybercrime.
Speaking at the event, Senior Police Advisor for UNFICYP (United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus), Ala’a Momani, emphasized that the seminar aimed to shed light on the nature and extent of cybercrimes on the island, noting a significant increase in such crimes in recent years.
Sergei Illarinow, Head and Coordinator of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advisory Office, highlighted the appointment of Maria Angela Holguin as the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on the Cyprus issue, marking a new opportunity for resolution.
“The last effort was seven years ago. Such opportunities do not arise frequently; we must seize this chance in Cyprus,” he stated.
Salih Can Doratlı, the Turkish Cypriot Co-chair of the Technical Committee, remarked on how technology’s integration into every aspect of life has created new avenues for fraudsters through communication technologies.
Doratlı expressed confidence in the committee’s effective collaboration with the UN and stressed the need for proactive measures.
“For the committee, this topic is both significant and new. We need to consider how to focus on this issue, monitor it, and determine what measures we can take to ensure the security of our digital assets,” Doratlı said.
Andreas Kapardis, the Greek Cypriot Co-chair of the Technical Committee, noted that cybercrime knows no borders, making cooperation essential for all parties involved. Kapardis expressed his belief in an eventual solution to the Cyprus issue and emphasized the importance of collaboration until that time.
The seminar underscored the urgent need for joint efforts to combat the increasing threat of cybercrime and the potential for such collaborative initiatives to build a foundation of trust and security across the island.
