First global UN cybercrime treaty signed by 60+ states in Hanoi

More than 60 countries signed the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime at a ceremony in Hanoi on Saturday, marking the first globally negotiated, legally binding treaty aimed at bolstering international cooperation against online crime. The signing, held at Vietnam's National Convention Centre, was attended by UN Secretary‑General António Guterres, Vietnamese President Luong Cuong and high level delegations from governments, regional organisations and international institutions.

The pact, negotiated over five years and adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2024, sets a comprehensive framework to prevent and combat cybercrime. It establishes mechanisms to speed cross‑border cooperation, including a 24/7 network to share electronic evidence, request mutual legal assistance, seek extradition, and identify and seize proceeds of crime. The text criminalises a range of offences from phishing and ransomware to online trafficking and illegal child imagery, and is the first global treaty to include specific protections against online child grooming. The convention also encourages victim assistance measures such as physical recovery, compensation and removal of illicit...