Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the General Assembly during the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations at UN Headquarters in New York, NY on September 22, 2025.
The General Assembly commemorates the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations, UN Headquarters, New York, United States – 22 Sep 2025
“This is a historic moment” – stated Guterres – “which demonstrates how multilateralism can still provide concrete solutions to the most complex challenges.” The Secretary-General highlighted that “every day, cyberattacks steal money, shut down essential services, and spread child abuse material. There are now common rules to stop them.” The Hanoi Convention, adopted by the General Assembly in December 2024 after five years of negotiations, comprises nine chapters and 71 articles. It mandates signatory countries to criminalize unauthorized access to computer systems, the deletion or manipulation of data, and digital fraud, and includes specific provisions on crimes against minors. Article 41 also imposes the creation of a 24/7 contact network to facilitate investigations, extraditions, and exchanges of electronic evidence.
Among the signatories are Vietnam, Brazil, Belgium, Ireland, Australia, Chile, Ghana, Cuba, Belarus, and Greece, while Italy, the United States, China, and Russia have not signed yet, despite participating in the negotiations. The Convention will remain open for signature in New York until December 31, 2026, and will enter into force 90 days after the fortieth ratification. During a press conference with Vietnamese Prime Minister Ph?m Minh Chính, Guterres urged countries to “turn signatures into action” by swiftly ratifying the treaty.
“The document” – he explained – “allows law enforcement to share digital evidence across borders while ensuring that privacy, dignity, and security are protected both online and offline.” The Secretary-General also addressed criticisms from human rights groups and the Cybersecurity Tech Accord (which includes companies like Meta and Infosys), which argue that the text could risk criminalizing researchers and favoring state surveillance. “Research activities are explicitly protected” – he clarified – “and if one state suspects another may misuse the information in violation of human rights, it may refuse to share it. This is the first international convention that explicitly safeguards human rights within the sphere of criminal justice.”
The UN will support the implementation of the treaty through the Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which will coordinate training, technical assistance, and the exchange of good practices among member states. The Secretary-General concluded by noting that “no country, large or small, can defend itself alone in cyberspace: digital security must become a global public good.”
– Photo IPA Agency –
