On March 26, 2025, at the United Nations Headquarters in Vienna, Austria, a seminar was held to introduce to European countries the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, which will be held in Hanoi in 2025.

The seminar was organized exclusively for delegates from the European region but still attracted the attention and participation of many delegates from other geographical regions and a number of international organizations in Vienna.

At the seminar, the Vietnamese interdisciplinary delegation, including Ambassador Vu Le Thai Hoang, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations and international organizations in Vienna, Austria, and representatives of the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated on the preparations for the Convention signing ceremony in Hanoi in 2025.

Accordingly, Vietnam is working closely with UNODC and international partners to ensure that the signing ceremony in Hanoi is solemn, comprehensive and has a far-reaching impact. Vietnam hopes that this event will not only be a legal procedure but also a platform to promote dialogue, share best practices and strengthen partnerships between governments, international organizations and the private sector.

Vietnam is committed to ensuring that this event becomes a meaningful forum to promote the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime and strengthen global cooperation in preventing and combating cybercrime.

Vietnam is committed to ensuring that this event becomes a meaningful forum to promote the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime and strengthen global cooperation in preventing and combating cybercrime.

Europe has been at the forefront of efforts to create a legal framework to combat cybercrime for decades. The Budapest Convention, adopted by the Council of Europe in 2001, laid the foundation for global thinking on the issue. It was the first international legal instrument to criminalize cybercrime and to promote international cooperation.

Despite Europe's strong legal and technical capabilities, the increasingly sophisticated nature of cybercrime is increasingly affecting critical infrastructure, government systems and the lives of citizens across Europe and around the world, creating an urgent need for comprehensive, universal and complementary frameworks to existing ones.

The newly adopted United Nations Convention against Cybercrime addresses this need by providing a comprehensive platform for cooperation, harmonization of procedures and sharing of electronic evidence, all under the auspices of the United Nations. Vietnam believes that the new Convention does not compete with, but complements, existing instruments, including the Budapest Convention. This new Convention expands the scope of international cooperation and reflects a shared interest in ensuring a safe, secure and rule-abiding cyberspace.

The Vietnamese delegation thanked all countries for supporting the selection of Hanoi as the venue for signing the Convention at the United Nations General Assembly session in December 2024, and affirmed that Vietnam will continue to closely coordinate with UNODC, the United Nations Office for Legal Affairs (OLA) and member countries in promoting the early entry into force of the Hanoi Convention and its effective implementation in the coming time.

Representatives of UNODC and the European Union Delegation to the United Nations in Vienna expressed their agreement with the statement of the Vietnamese delegation and affirmed that they will continue to accompany and cooperate with Vietnam.

Representatives of many European countries and some other regional groups highly appreciated Vietnam's active preparations for the Convention Signing Ceremony, affirming that they will strive to complete internal procedures in time to participate in the Convention Signing Ceremony in Hanoi and soon ratify the Convention , and committed to supporting and closely coordinating with Vietnam to successfully organize the Signing Ceremony in Hanoi in 2025.

In addition, the seminar raised awareness of the complex nature of cybercrime and highlighted UNODC’s efforts in collaboration with other international organizations such as the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to support UN Member States in their efforts to combat cybercrime, including through partnerships and international cooperation.

The United Nations Convention on Cybercrime was officially adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 24, 2024.

The Convention consists of 9 Chapters and 71 articles, including many important contents such as: defining acts considered cybercrimes, from illegal access, system intervention to online child abuse, money laundering obtained from criminal activities; defining jurisdiction and investigative measures, allowing countries to collect evidence and effectively prosecute cases related to cybercrimes; procedural and law enforcement measures; international cooperation in investigating and prosecuting cybercriminals; preventive measures, emphasizing capacity building and raising awareness of cyber security; technical support and information exchange...

The adoption of the Convention is the result of joint efforts by all UN member states, in which Vietnam has actively participated in this process. For the first time, a multilateral international treaty of global stature in a top priority area such as cybersecurity and digital governance will be signed in Vietnam.

According to international practice, this document will be referred to as the Hanoi Convention, demonstrating the international community's recognition of Vietnam's active participation, contribution and responsibility in building the Convention in particular and responding to global challenges of the United Nations in general.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/viet-nam-duoc-danh-gia-cao-trong-no-luc-chuan-bi-cho-le-ky-cong-uoc-lien-hop-quoc-ve-chong-toi-pham-mang-post868243.html