 State President Luong Cuong, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and delegates at the Opening for Signature of the UN Convention against Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention). (Photo: VOV) |
The ceremony began on Saturday in Hanoi with the theme "Countering Cybercrime–Sharing Responsibility–Securing our Future." It was attended by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive Director Ghada Fathy Ismail Waly, leaders of UN member states, and representatives from international organisations.
After five years of negotiation, dozens of meetings, and thousands of inputs, the Convention's approval reflects a collective perseverance, wisdom, and trust among nations. It represents a triumph of dialogue over confrontation and of cooperation over division, President Cuong said.
According to the Vietnamese President, the Hanoi Convention conveys three clear, profound, and enduring messages to the world. First, it reaffirms a collective commitment an orderly, safe, and secure cyberspace that is based on international laws. Second, the convention promotes solidarity, mutual support, and a spirit of sharing. And third, all efforts aim at the people's well-being.
Technology and development must serve and bring opportunities to everyone, so that no one is left behind in the global process of digital transformation, President Luong Cuong said.
 President Luong Cuong delivers an opening remark at the signing ceremony of the Hanoi Convention on October 25th, 2025. (Photo: VOV) |
"These three messages demonstrate the core spirit of the Hanoi Convention, a Convention founded on the rule of law, cooperation, and the people. This is also Vietnam's guiding principle in its international integration: taking the rule of law as the foundation, cooperation as the driving force, and the people as the center, the subject, and the ultimate goal of all our endeavors. As the convention's first signatory and the host of today's ceremony, Vietnam has demonstrated a powerful commitment to respecting the rule of law, fulfilling our international obligations, and contributing to a global legal order in cyberspace," he added.
At the event, President Cuong called on all UN member states to soon ratify the Convention, so that it may enter into force and establish a just, inclusive, and rules-based digital order as soon as possible.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the UN Convention against Cybercrime a landmark achievement and the first global criminal justice treaty in 20 years to establish a common legal framework for nations to cooperate in combating cybercrime.
He said: "The UN Cybercrime Convention is a powerful, legally binding instrument to strengthen our collective defense against cybercrime. It is a promise that fundamental human rights such as privacy, dignity, and safety must be protected both offline and online. It is a testament to the continued power of multilateralism to deliver solutions."
The UNODC Executive Director said the organisation will continue to provide supports for member states, including legal and strategy consultations, capacity building in digital forensics, and promoting international cooperation and exchanges. The UNODC will act as the secretariat for future meetings between participating parties, with the first session scheduled for January 2026 in Vienna, Austria, to discuss procedural rules.