HANOI, Oct. 25, 2025: Sixty-five countries signed the first-ever United Nations Convention against Cybercrime at a formal ceremony in Hanoi, marking a milestone in global cooperation to address criminal activities carried out through digital networks and information technology systems. The treaty, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2024, establishes a comprehensive legal framework to help governments investigate and prosecute cybercrime while improving cross-border collaboration.
UN cybercrime treaty enhances cross-border investigative capacity. (AI-generated image)
It is the first multilateral agreement of its kind to be open to all UN member states and aims to harmonize national laws, strengthen evidence-sharing mechanisms, and facilitate rapid international coordination. Delegations from more than 60 nations attended the two-day signing ceremony co-hosted by the Government of Vietnam and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The event marked the formal opening of the treaty for signature. Under its terms, the convention will enter into force 90 days after the 40th country completes its ratification process.
The agreement, officially known as the “United Nations Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes,” criminalizes several categories of offenses. These include illegal access to computer systems, data interference, computer-related fraud, identity theft, online child sexual exploitation, and the non-consensual distribution of intimate images.
The treaty also provides for the creation of a 24-hour global network to assist member states in preserving and sharing electronic evidence in real time. This mechanism is intended to improve coordination among law enforcement authorities and ensure that data relevant to criminal investigations can be securely obtained and exchanged between jurisdictions.
Global agreement strengthens cross-border cybercrime cooperation
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking at the ceremony, said the convention represents a significant advancement in the collective effort to combat cybercrime, which affects governments, businesses, and individuals worldwide. He noted that the new framework strengthens global capacity to protect critical infrastructure and digital communications systems from criminal misuse.
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, addressing the assembled representatives, said the hosting of the signing ceremony reflects Vietnam’s commitment to international cooperation and its active role in shaping global digital governance. He emphasized that cyber threats respect no borders and require an equally unified response from the international community.
The convention builds upon earlier regional frameworks such as the Council of Europe’s Budapest Convention, but it extends participation to all nations under the United Nations framework. By doing so, it provides a universal platform for cooperation and establishes standards for the preservation, disclosure, and admissibility of electronic evidence in criminal proceedings.
Treaty marks new phase in global digital cooperation
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, cybercrime has become one of the fastest-growing forms of transnational crime, with economic losses estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars annually. The agency has described the new convention as an essential step in helping countries develop compatible laws and technical capabilities to address this evolving threat.
Human rights and technology advocacy organizations have acknowledged the treaty’s significance while urging governments to ensure that enforcement efforts are accompanied by adequate safeguards for privacy and freedom of expression. The Hanoi ceremony concluded with the signing of the convention by 65 nations across all regions. Additional countries are expected to sign in the coming months at United Nations Headquarters in New York, where the treaty will remain open for signature until December 2026.
The signing of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime represents the beginning of a coordinated international framework to confront digital-era criminal activity through cooperation, legal alignment, and secure information exchange across borders, strengthening global capacity to investigate, prevent, and prosecute cyber offenses with shared responsibility and trust. – By Content Syndication Services.