UN Cyber Crime Treaty To Be Signed In Hanoi To Overcome Global Crime

JAKARTA An important United Nations (UN) agreement on cybercrime, aimed at tackling violations that cost the global economy up to trillions of dollars annually, will be signed this weekend in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, by around 60 countries.

The Convention will take effect after it is ratified by 40 countries and is expected to facilitate international cooperation in fighting cybercrime. However, a number of activists and technology companies criticized it for fear of opening up opportunities for human rights violations.

"The virtual world has become fertile land for criminals... every day, various advanced scams deceive families, steal livelihoods, and drain billions of dollars from our economy," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the opening ceremony.

"The UN Cyber Crime Convention is a powerful and binding legal instrument to strengthen our collective defenses against cybercrime," said Antonio Guterres.

This Convention covers various types of violations, ranging from phishing and ransomware to illegal online trade and hate speech. The United Nations estimates cybercrime will cause trillions of dollars in losses to the global economy every year.

Vietnam's President, Luong Cuong, said that the signing of this convention not only marks the birth of global legal instruments, but also emphasizes the spirit of multilateralism, in which countries are able to ignore differences and are willing to share shared responsibility for the sake of peace, security, stability and development.

However, critics warn that the definition of crime in this agreement is still too widespread and can be misused.

The Cybersecurity Tech Accord group, which consists of major companies such as Meta and Microsoft, called the agreement a "supervision agreement," because it was feared it could facilitate intergovernmental data exchange and potentially criminalize ethical hackers who tested the system to find vulnerabilities.

The United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which led the agreement negotiations, stated that the agreement includes provisions to protect human rights and support legitimate research activities.

The European Union, the United States, and Canada sent diplomats and officials to sign the agreement in Hanoi.

However, Vietnam's role as host also sparked controversy. The US State Department recently highlighted serious issues related to human rights in the country, including internet censorship practices. Human Rights Watch reports at least 40 people have been arrested this year, including for expressing their opinions online.

For Vietnam, this agreement is an opportunity to strengthen its global position while strengthening cyber defenses amid increasing attacks on vital infrastructure.