New step forward in cooperation between Vietnam and the United Nations in preventing and combating cybercrime

Minister Luong Tam Quang warmly congratulated the successful opening ceremony of the Hanoi Convention held earlier that morning, affirming that this document has the broadest and most comprehensive impact compared to all other international legal instruments related to cyberspace currently in existence. At the same time, it is a historic milestone, demonstrating international consensus in establishing a new legal framework to strengthen cooperation and improve the effectiveness of combating increasingly complex and sophisticated high-tech crimes.

Minister Luong Tam Quang emphasized that the Convention's adoption by consensus during the expedited negotiations once again affirmed the importance of multilateralism, as well as the central role of the UN in promoting international cooperation based on international law to effectively respond to global challenges.

The Minister stated that this momentous event took place at a time when Vietnam had just been re-elected as a member of the UN Human Rights Council with the highest number of votes in the Asia- Pacific group, demonstrating the international community's trust in Vietnam's open foreign policy and its efforts to participate and contribute actively to multilateral mechanisms.

On this occasion, on behalf of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, Minister Luong Tam Quang respectfully extends his sincere gratitude to Ms. Ghada Waly and the leadership, experts, and staff of UNODC for their continuous support and close cooperation with the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam throughout the past period, making a significant contribution to the success of the Hanoi Convention's signing ceremony.

Minister Luong Tam Quang speaks at the reception.

Minister Luong Tam Quang affirmed that the coordination between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and UNODC has sent a strong message about the spirit of international cooperation in preventing and combating cybercrime, aiming to establish unified communication standards among entities in cyberspace – from law enforcement agencies and service providers to citizens and victims of cybercrime – thereby promoting the safe and sustainable development of global cyberspace in the era of Industry 4.0. The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security consistently supports and promotes multilateralism and international cooperation in addressing global issues, considering this an important factor contributing to maintaining international peace, stability, and security.

Minister Luong Tam Quang welcomed the efforts and highly appreciated the role of the UN in general, and UNODC in particular, in supporting countries to enhance their capacity to combat transnational organized crime and respond to non-traditional security challenges, especially cybercrime. Since UNODC established its representative office in Vietnam in 1992, the organization has established close and increasingly in-depth cooperative relationships with relevant Vietnamese agencies, including the Ministry of Public Security. On this occasion, on behalf of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, Minister Luong Tam Quang highly appreciated and sincerely thanked UNODC for its support over the past time, especially the cooperation activities within the framework of several key programs such as border management, combating high-tech crime, human trafficking, environmental crime, corruption, and terrorism.

Ms. Ghada Waly, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, spoke at the reception.

Regarding the fight against high-tech crime, the Minister stated that UNODC has closely collaborated with the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security to implement numerous programs to enhance capabilities in digital investigation, electronic evidence analysis, and cryptocurrency analysis. It has also facilitated the participation of many Vietnamese police officers in training courses, workshops, and practical experience exchanges abroad.

Minister Luong Tam Quang welcomed the idea of establishing and locating a UNODC regional center for combating cybercrime in Vietnam, affirming that this would be an important step contributing to enhancing Vietnam's role and position in the international community, demonstrating Vietnam's strong commitment to responding to non-traditional security challenges.

According to Minister Luong Tam Quang, transnational crime, especially cybercrime, is currently a common challenge for the whole world, and no single country can effectively solve this problem on its own. The Hanoi Convention marked a significant turning point after more than two decades, as it was the first time the international community had reached a global legal instrument on transnational crime. The Convention not only demonstrates a shared determination in responding to the increasingly complex challenges from cyberspace, but also affirms that international solidarity and cooperation are key to ensuring global cybersecurity.

Minister Luong Tam Quang emphasized that the name "Hanoi Convention" is not only a source of pride for Vietnam, but also reflects the trust and recognition of the United Nations and the international community in Vietnam's consistent stance, capacity, and commitment to jointly addressing global challenges for peace, security, and sustainable development.

Regarding the field of drug prevention and control, Minister Luong Tam Quang stated that Vietnam currently faces many difficulties in drug testing, especially the lack of standard samples for testing and identifying new types of drugs. The Minister requested UNODC to consider and support the provision of more standard drug samples, especially for newly emerging drugs, in order to more effectively serve the testing and investigation work in Vietnam.

On the occasion of the signing of the Hanoi Convention, Minister Luong Tam Quang expressed his hope that UNODC would continue to pay attention to and support Vietnam and other member states in the domestication and effective implementation of the Convention's commitments, while also strengthening training courses for Vietnamese police officers on digital investigation, collection and preservation of electronic evidence. Minister Luong Tam Quang also noted the need for support in providing modern technical equipment for investigation and examination of electronic data, as well as building internationally standardized digital laboratories to meet the requirements of combating high-tech crime in the new era.

Regarding the idea of establishing a UNODC regional center for combating cybercrime in Vietnam, Minister Luong Tam Quang suggested that UNODC develop a specific roadmap, clearly defining the authority, responsibilities, areas, and scope of activities of the Center, ensuring compliance with international and Vietnamese laws.

During the meeting, both sides agreed on the need to further deepen existing cooperation mechanisms, especially within the BLO mechanism – the Regional Cross-Border Liaison Office Network – contributing to enhanced coordination in combating transnational crime. Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in capacity building, providing equipment and training for forces working in anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, and combating violent extremism, as well as in combating drug trafficking, high-tech crime, environmental crime, human trafficking, and investigating corruption cases with foreign elements.

Both sides also agreed to study and promote high-level contacts and exchanges between leaders of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and UNODC, thereby strengthening coordination in priority areas of cooperation. The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security requested UNODC to expand the program of inviting Ministry of Public Security officials to attend international conferences and seminars, and to organize study tours to learn from practical experiences in the field of combating transnational crime, high-tech crime, and other non-traditional security challenges.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/buoc-tien-moi-trong-hop-tac-giua-viet-nam-va-lien-hop-quoc-ve-phong-chong-toi-pham-mang-10392942.html