The signing ceremony for the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, which has been informally christened the “Hanoi Convention,” convened in Hanoi, Vietnam, over two days, October 25 and 26, 2025. This landmark agreement represents a comprehensive international treaty and holds particular historical weight, as it is the first criminal law instrument adopted by the UN in more than two decades. The Convention’s core mandate is to establish a unified and robust legal foundation, indispensable for the global community to execute coordinated actions aimed at neutralizing the rapidly evolving threats originating from cyberspace. Reflecting broad international acceptance, sixty-five states had already formally expressed their commitment to the document at the time of its initial signing.
The very fact that the proceedings were held in Hanoi lent the event considerable symbolic significance, highlighting Vietnam’s growing stature as a responsible player in global processes and a vital venue for fostering international consensus. The Russian Federation played a central role in driving the initiative. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the signing as an “historic event without exaggeration,” noting that its successful realization was fundamentally owed to the extensive support garnered by the Russian proposal, which was initially put forward back in 2019. The document, developed under the coordinating influence of the Russian Foreign Ministry (M.I.D. RF) and formally endorsed by the UN General Assembly in December 2024, is viewed by legal experts as having crossed the metaphorical “Rubicon” in the ongoing effort to shape a fair and equitable digital environment for all nations.
The essence of the Convention lies in creating actionable and effective mechanisms specifically designed to intercept and prosecute a range of digital offenses. These include unauthorized access to computer systems, sophisticated online financial fraud, the widespread distribution of malicious software (malware), and the abhorrent exploitation of children over the internet. Crucially, the agreement formalizes the principles of sovereign equality among states concerning their respective information spaces. It is strategically aimed at strengthening cooperation between global law enforcement agencies, encompassing vital functions such as the swift exchange of critical information, mutual assistance in complex international investigations, and the timely extradition of identified offenders. UN Secretary-General António Guterres aptly characterized the Convention as a powerful legal tool, absolutely necessary to counter the deep penetration of organized transnational crime into the digital dimension.
Vietnam, by serving as the host nation for this momentous occasion, reinforced its commitment to fostering a secure and transparent digital world, having contributed numerous constructive ideas during the drafting phase that helped harmonize the positions of diverse countries. Ghada Waly, who serves as the Head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), hailed the Convention as the definitive starting point for a comprehensive, global campaign against cybercrime. Beyond immediate concerns, the document establishes a foundational framework not only for tackling current cyber challenges but also for shaping future digital governance structures, including critical issues surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and general online security protocols. For those countries unable to attend the ceremony on October 25–26, there remains a window of opportunity: they may sign the treaty in Hanoi until the end of the current year, or at the central UN headquarters in New York until the conclusion of the following year.