UN Convention against Cybercrime Signing Ceremony officially opens in Hanoi

The ceremony was chaired by President of Vietnam Luong Cuong.

The event was attended by UN Secretary-General António Guterres; UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Ghada Fathy Ismail Waly; leaders and high-ranking representatives from 110 countries and international organizations, UN agencies, regional bodies, financial institutions and a large number of experts and scholars in cybersecurity and international law.

Also present at the ceremony were several Vietnamese high-ranking officials, including Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Internal Affairs Phan Dinh Trac; Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council and President of Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics Nguyen Xuan Thang; Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son and Minister of Public Security General Luong Tam Quang.

Delivering his remarks on behalf of the State and People of Vietnam, President Luong Cuong warmly welcomed distinguished guests to Hanoi – the City for Peace, to attend the Signing Ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime – an event of historic significance, marking the beginning of a new era of global cooperation in cyberspace governance.

With the theme “Countering Cybercrime – Sharing Responsibility – Securing Our Future,”  the ceremony embodied the spirit of international solidarity and shared commitment of nations to build a safe, healthy and sustainable cyberspace, President Luong Cuong said.

President Luong Cuong emphasized that the event not only marked the birth of a global legal instrument but also reaffirmed the enduring vitality of multilateralism, where nations transcend differences to share common responsibility for peace, security, stability and sustainable development.

In his speech, UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted that cyberspace has increasingly become fertile ground for criminals, allowing them to operate across borders with unprecedented reach and speed. 

He stressed that the UN Convention against Cybercrime serves as a powerful, legally binding framework that strengthens collective global defenses against cyber threats, ensuring that no nation—regardless of its level of development—will be left isolated or unprotected in the face of cybercrime.

Following the opening ceremony, President Luong Cuong and UN Secretary-General António Guterres witnessed the signing of the Convention by authorized representatives of Vietnam and 63 other countries. 

The Convention will remain open for signature at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Comprising nine chapters and seventy-one articles, the Hanoi Convention provides a comprehensive approach to preventing and combating global cybercrime while safeguarding the fundamental principles of human rights, reflecting the shared aspiration of the international community to build a secure, responsible and cooperative cyberspace for the future.