Having opposed the present Cybercrime Act when in opposition, the government says preparations are in the works to repeal it and replace it with a new Act based on UN guidelines.
“A model cybercrime bill for CARICOM.” This bill is international. Nobody can fault us since the UN sets the example. Attorney General Anil Nandlall said yesterday that the law will be repealed.
“This will be repealed to accommodate for the new updated Cybercrime bill,” he added.
Free speech supporters say the authorities and private persons are targeting political and other figures.
The Attorney General said that the UN has established a committee to work on a convention to fight the use of ICT for criminal objectives, and that a workshop is now underway. He said Guyana will attend.
Human rights organizations around the world are concerned about this resolution. Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and over 125 NGOs have written to the Ad Hoc Committee expressing concerns.
It has also encouraged the Committee to “guarantee meaningful civil society engagement” and that any proposed cybercrime convention include clear human rights safeguards.
In November 2019, the UN issued a resolution on countering the use of ICT for crime.
Guyana is one of six Caricom countries who abstained from voting at the UN, where there were 88 for, 58 against, and 30 abstentions.
Belize, Guyana, The Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Haiti, and Trinidad & Tobago opposed the resolution in Caricom.
Antigua-Barbuda, Dominica, Jamaica, Suriname, Saint Vincent, Saint Kitts, and Saint Lucia voted yes.
Nandlall said that while CARICOM is adopting a coordinated position on the negotiations, member countries must ensure their unique concerns are fully represented.
