The United Nations announced that Venezuela has officially signed the UN Cybercrime Convention, joining more than 60 countries in this significant agreement aimed at combating cybercrime. The signing took place in Hanoi, with participation from UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
During the signing ceremony, Guterres emphasized the importance of the convention as a powerful and legally binding tool to enhance collective defenses against cybercrime. He noted, “The convention is a testament to the enduring power of multilateralism to offer solutions and a commitment that no country, regardless of its level of development, will be left defenseless against cybercrime.”
The convention, which includes nine chapters and 71 articles, tackles various issues, including online child exploitation and money laundering. This agreement marks a historical moment, as it is the first to link a Vietnamese city to an official UN convention, at a time when cybercrime, particularly digital scams, is escalating in Southeast Asia.
Ghada Waly, executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), pointed out that Southeast Asia has become a hotspot for online scams, with significant activity reported in regions such as Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. She stated, “Cybercrime is transforming organized crime as we know it. The new convention provides member states with an essential tool to face it together.”
The text of the convention is the culmination of a five-year process and represents the first global agreement of its kind. It will provide a framework for the collection and sharing of digital evidence, which is crucial for prosecuting transnational criminals who operate across multiple jurisdictions.
This landmark agreement is expected to encourage more nations to join the convention in the coming days, further strengthening global collaboration in the fight against cybercrime.
