Vietnam has called on countries that have yet to sign or ratify the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention) to soon complete the necessary procedures so that it can enter into force promptly and deliver practical benefits to the international community in combating cybercrime.
The call was made by Ambassador Vu Le Thai Hoang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN and other international organizations in Vienna, while leading an inter-agency delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security to attend the first meeting of the ad hoc committee on the rules of procedure for the implementation of the convention. Held in Vienna from January 26 to 30, this was the committee’s first meeting since the pact was opened for signature in Hanoi in October last year.
Addressing the meeting, he affirmed that Vietnam has consistently upheld the spirit of cooperation and consensus throughout the process of negotiating and implementing the convention. He stressed that a clear, robust and consensus-based set of rules of procedure will serve as an essential foundation to ensure the Conference of the States Parties to the convention operates efficiently, transparently and credibly once it takes effect.
He urged participating delegations to engage in discussions in a constructive and flexible manner in order to soon adopt the rules of procedure, thereby creating a solid basis for the convention’s effective implementation in the time to come.
Vietnam, for its part, is actively completing domestic procedures and has committed to ratifying it at the earliest possible time, Hoang added.
Within the framework of the meeting, on January 26, Vietnam joined the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to co-host a seminar on promoting the universalisation and effective implementation of the Hanoi Convention.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Vu Le Thai Hoang highlighted that following the milestone signing of the convention in Hanoi, the current priority is to ensure that it becomes an effective instrument in practice. He emphasised that beyond signing and ratification, it is crucial to implement the convention in a practical manner through the improvement of national legal frameworks, strengthening institutional capacity, and enhancing sustained international cooperation.
Vietnam highly values the complementary roles of organisations such as the IPU, INTERPOL and UNODC, ranging from legislative support and law enforcement cooperation to international coordination and capacity-building, the ambassador went on, reaffirming Vietnam’s commitment to actively contributing to global efforts to promote the universalisation and effective implementation of the convention, particularly through initiatives aimed at strengthening technical assistance and capacity-building for developing countries.
The event attracted broad participation from representatives of various countries, law enforcement and judicial agencies, and relevant partners, providing an open forum for discussion, enhancing connectivity and promoting multilateral cooperation, thereby helping make the UN convention an effective global instrument in the fight against cybercrime.
