U.S. – Australia Relations

Key Allies focus on cyber crime at Sydney 'Quintet'

Sydney — 15 July 2011

15 July 2011

Attorneys-General from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia today met in Sydney to develop a joint action plan to combat the growing threat of cyber crime.

Australian Attorney-General Robert McClelland hosted the third 'Quintet' meeting of Attorneys-General, which meets annually to share ideas and deal with issues of mutual concern such as counter-terrorism national security, countering extremism, organised crime and legal cooperation.

"Cyber crime is increasing in sophistication, inherently transnational, and increasingly linked to organised crime, posing a growing threat to consumers, business and government alike," Mr McClelland said.

"A safe and secure internet is essential to the global economy and the community.

"It is a complex policy and law enforcement challenge because of its transnational nature and use of rapidly evolving technology.

"The global nature of cyber crime is such that no nation can fight the problem alone, making international cooperation and working closely with our key allies a critical part of the response."

The Quintet discussed how to more effectively work together to combat cyber threats, including harnessing the opportunities offered by the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime; working with industry to combat cyber threats; and ensuring domestic laws keep pace with technological change.

The Quintet was attended by:

• Hon Eric H. Holder, Jr — Attorney-General, United States of America
• Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP — Attorney-General, United Kingdom
• Hon Rob Nicholson QC — Attorney-General & Minister for Justice, Canada
• Hon Chris Finlayson — Attorney-General, New Zealand
• Hon Robert McClelland MP — Attorney-General, Australia

Mr McClelland said Australia also briefed its allies on the Government’s Countering-Violent Extremism (CVE) program.

"The CVE program aims to reduce the risk of home-grown terrorism by building community resilience to radicalisation and extremist views," Mr McClelland said.

"This is a very important initiative in Australia. While we have learnt from overseas experiences, Australia has been innovative in developing new programs that other countries are looking at with interest."

Each Attorney-General led discussions on a range of key national security and legal policy issues, including:

• Intelligence and Evidence in Legal Proceedings (Canada);
• Disclosure of Digitally Stored Material (United Kingdom);
• Extradition (New Zealand);
• Sentencing (United States); and
• Countering Violent Extremism (Australia).

"The Quintet represents a unique opportunity for the Australian Government to work with our key allies to address challenges and progress matters of mutual interest from the perspective of a shared legal tradition and common values," Mr McClelland said.

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Original document from www.attorneygeneral.gov.au.

Last update: Friday, 19 August 2011 GMT+1000