For the first time, Vietnam hosted the signing ceremony of a United Nations Convention.

Vietnam proactively proposed to host the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, affirming the strong commitment of the Party and State in international cooperation against transnational crime.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son. (Photo: VNA)

On December 24, 2024, in New York, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime and chose Vietnam as the venue for the Convention signing ceremony.

On this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son gave an interview to the press.

- Deputy Prime Minister, what is your assessment of the United Nations' adoption of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son: It can be said that this is a worthy achievement after nearly 5 years of tireless negotiations between Vietnam and other UN member states. As the first document on transnational crime adopted within the framework of the United Nations in 20 years, this Convention has opened a new chapter in cooperation between countries with many important meanings.

Firstly, the Convention creates the first global legal framework for cyberspace, affirming the need for the participation of all countries in preventing and combating cybercrime, contributing to narrowing the differences between national laws, establishing a dedicated 24/7 cooperation mechanism, thereby promoting more effective cross-border crime prevention cooperation, and facilitating countries' digital transformation efforts.

Second, through a democratic and inclusive negotiation process, the Convention reflects not only the views and interests of developed countries but also those of developing countries like us, which are disadvantaged in global technology governance. The Convention also ensures a balance between the rights and obligations of all countries, promoting technical assistance and capacity building for the common benefit of the international community.

Third, the Convention affirms the central role of the United Nations in coordinating the international community's joint efforts to respond to cybercrime, a pressing issue today. In the context of a complex world situation, deep strategic competition, and different views and approaches to cybercrime, the adoption of the Convention by consensus strengthens confidence in the role of the United Nations and its multilateral approach, as well as demonstrates goodwill and desire to promote cooperation and dialogue among countries on international issues. The birth of the Convention can become a model for future international frameworks on digital technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance.

- Vietnam has been chosen by the United Nations to host the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime. What is your assessment of this event?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son: From the beginning, Vietnam has been interested in and supported the initiation of negotiations on the Convention and has consistently promoted the development of an international legal framework on cyberspace based on the fundamental principles of international law. Throughout the 8 sessions of the Specialized Committee, Vietnam has always participated actively, proactively and made substantial contributions to the content of the Convention.

It can be said that with the spirit of goodwill, constructiveness, and willingness to listen and share views, Vietnam has been trusted and highly appreciated by the United Nations and partner countries throughout the entire process. Therefore, when proposing to become the host country to host the signing ceremony of this historic Convention in 2025, we have received positive and widespread support from international friends. Currently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating with the Ministry of Public Security, the agency hosting the signing ceremony of the Convention, to actively work with the United Nations to organize this important event.

This will be the first time Vietnam has hosted a signing ceremony for a United Nations Convention, marking a new milestone in Vietnam’s international legal integration in particular and multilateral diplomacy in general. This important event can be assessed from three aspects.

Firstly, Vietnam's initiative to propose hosting the Signing Ceremony once again affirms the strong commitment of the Party and State in international cooperation in preventing and combating transnational crimes, raising people's awareness and prevention capacity against cybercrime, contributing to ensuring social order and safety, building a stable and safe business environment, and promoting economic and social development.

Second, this also affirms Vietnam's consistent stance of upholding international law, advocating proactive participation and active contribution to the common work of the United Nations to solve global issues, in which crime is always a threat to the security, economy and social stability of countries around the world, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.

Finally, with the United Nations members unanimously choosing Hanoi as the venue for the Convention Signing Ceremony, from now on the name of Hanoi will be associated with an important international legal document to address one of the challenges of the 21st century. This is the basis for Vietnam to continue to actively contribute to the implementation of the Convention, contributing to shaping the global cyberspace governance framework for a safe, cooperative and inclusive digital future in the coming time. This is extremely important when many countries, including Vietnam, are promoting digital transformation associated with ensuring security and safety to make a breakthrough in the new era.

- Sincerely thank you Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs!./.

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