On 22/9, Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Public Security, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), hosted an event titled "Road to Hanoi: The Signing Ceremony of the UN Convention on Cybercrime - Championing Multilateralism for a Secure Digital Future" at the UN headquarters.
The event, chaired by Acting Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, featured speakers and guests from the Ministry of Public Security, Nigeria, Trinidad & Tobago, the Netherlands, UN agencies, and research institutes. Approximately 120 representatives from UN member states, international organizations, and the research community attended.
Trung stated that international cooperation is crucial in combating cybercrime and will be more effective with the introduction of the convention, the first global legal framework to address this issue.
As the host of the signing ceremony, he emphasized Vietnam's hope that the event will be a milestone in strengthening multilateralism and global cooperation against cybersecurity threats.
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Acting Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung and Deputy Minister of Public Security Le Quoc Hung at the event promoting the Hanoi Convention signing ceremony at UN headquarters in New York, USA. Photo: BNG |
Acting Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung and Deputy Minister of Public Security Le Quoc Hung at the event promoting the Hanoi Convention signing ceremony at UN headquarters in New York, USA. Photo: BNG
UN Under-Secretary-General Ghada Waly, the Executive Director of UNODC, highlighted the convention as the first UN legal instrument on criminal justice in over 20 years, designed to address various forms of current and future cybercrime.
Lieutenant General Le Quoc Hung, Deputy Minister of Public Security, affirmed Vietnam's commitment to ensuring cybersecurity and combating high-tech crime. He said Vietnam will prioritize improving its legal system to align with the convention and strengthen inter-agency coordination for its signing, ratification, and implementation.
The signing ceremony in Hanoi will take place on 25-26/10. President Luong Cuong and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are expected to co-chair the event. Following the ceremony, participating members can continue signing the "Hanoi Convention" at UN headquarters until 31/12/2026.
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Delegates at the event promoting the Hanoi Convention signing ceremony at UN headquarters in New York, USA. Photo: BNG |
Delegates at the event promoting the Hanoi Convention signing ceremony at UN headquarters in New York, USA. Photo: BNG
The signing ceremony is a step in the legal process of enacting and implementing an international convention. It marks the stage where the convention text is published, and nations are invited to sign, signifying their intent to join in the future.
This is the first time a Vietnamese location has been associated with a global multilateral treaty in a field of great international concern. It is a significant milestone in Vietnam's multilateral foreign affairs history and its partnership with the UN.
The Hanoi Convention, comprising 9 chapters and 71 articles, is the result of nearly 5 years of continuous negotiations among member states to establish a comprehensive multilateral legal framework to combat cybercrime.
Cybercrime, increasing in scale, complexity, and impact, caused an estimated $8,000 billion in damage to the global economy in 2023 and is projected to reach $10,500 billion by 2025, exceeding the GDP of most of the world's largest economies.
Nhu Tam
