Hanoi Convention: 'Shield' to protect women and children from abuse in cyberspace

On October 26, within the framework of the signing ceremony and the High-Level Conference of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention), a policy discussion with the theme "Protecting women and children from abuse in cyberspace" took place.

Overview of the policy seminar on the theme "Protecting women and children from harm in cyberspace". (Photo: Thanh Long)

The seminar was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security in coordination with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with the participation of Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Tri Thuc, US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper, representative of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P Canada) Camillia Layne, representatives of diplomatic delegations and international organizations.

In her opening remarks at the seminar, Delphine Schantz, UNODC's Southeast Asia and Pacific Regional Representative, emphasized that, in the context of countries gathering in Hanoi to sign the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, the seminar is an important opportunity to reflect on ways to better protect vulnerable people in society, especially women and children, from the harmful effects of cybercrime.

Victims of cybercrime, particularly women and girls, suffer severe psychological, social, and economic harm, while perpetrators exploit loopholes in legal protections and the ease of dissemination online to act with impunity. The distribution of sensitive images without consent is an increasingly common and harmful form of online gender-based violence.

Delphine Schantz, UNODC's representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, speaks at the seminar. (Photo: Thanh Long)

According to Delphine Schantz, to address these challenges, each country must constantly adapt, including changing the way governments operate and coordinate to respond to and investigate crime, improving laws and legal frameworks, and especially cooperating with partners and stakeholders.

The adoption of the Hanoi Convention has provided various measures to protect women and children from harm in cyberspace. Firstly, the Convention calls on states to criminalize the dissemination of private images without consent. Secondly, the Convention reinforces the need to promote partnerships to address cyber-dependent crimes and cyber-activated crimes. Furthermore, the Convention calls on states to create support systems for victims and measures such as removing harmful content. Moreover, the Convention also calls on states to cooperate with stakeholders to develop preventive policies.

Delphine Schantz points out that online abuse, including the non-consensual dissemination of private images (NCII), is a deeply damaging form of gender-based violence. To address this, Article 16 of the Convention marks a significant step forward in criminalizing such acts and promoting dignity, safety, and justice in the digital space. Similarly, Articles 14 and 15 focus on protecting children from online harm and abuse.

"UNODC has been researching cybercrime for over 10 years. Through our Global Cybercrime Programme, we have partnered with law enforcement agencies, investigators, prosecutors, judges, public defenders, and victim support services worldwide. Our work has shown that we cannot face these challenges alone, including training law enforcement on handling digital evidence or creating victim support mechanisms," emphasized Delphine Schantz.

"Therefore, the Roundtable is an opportunity to share national approaches, implementation strategies, and the role of international cooperation in ensuring that no one is left behind in cyberspace," said the UNODC representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Tri Thuc speaks at the seminar. (Photo: Thanh Long)

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Tri Thuc stated that the seminar was not only an opportunity to review each country's efforts in protecting its citizens, especially women and children, in cyberspace, but also a chance to share experiences, strengthen cooperation, and work together towards a safer, healthier, and more humane online environment.

According to Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Tri Thuc, in recent years, Vietnam has strongly committed to better protecting children in cyberspace. This is demonstrated through an increasingly完善 legal system with many important laws; communication, education, and digital skills enhancement as important pillars in child protection; the establishment of mechanisms to protect children in cyberspace; functional forces, especially specialized cybersecurity units, have implemented many technical and operational measures to detect, prevent, and strictly handle acts harmful to children in cyberspace; and international cooperation is considered a key factor in protecting children in the online environment.

Despite achieving many positive results, Vietnam still faces numerous difficulties and challenges in protecting women and children in the online environment. With a spirit of cooperation, responsibility, and international solidarity, Vietnam is committed to continuing to participate actively and responsibly in global initiatives and cooperation mechanisms on protecting women and children in the online environment.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Tri Thuc expressed his desire for countries, international organizations, and digital platforms to strengthen the exchange of experiences in policy and legal development, promote corporate social responsibility in technology companies, and expand international cooperation mechanisms, agreements, and initiatives to effectively respond to transnational cybercrime. At the same time, the Deputy Minister affirmed that Vietnam is ready to cooperate in training, capacity building, technology transfer, and application of new technologies, contributing to better protection of women and children in the digital age.

"I believe that, through the collective efforts and strong commitment of all of us, the world will build a safe, humane, and inclusive cyberspace where all women and children are respected, protected, and empowered to reach their full potential," Deputy Minister Nguyen Tri Thuc expressed.

At the seminar, delegates emphasized the importance of protecting women and children, vulnerable groups in cyberspace, particularly highlighting Article 16 of the Hanoi Convention in addressing image-based abuse and promoting online safety and dignity.

At the seminar, delegates emphasized the importance of protecting women and children, vulnerable groups in cyberspace, particularly highlighting Article 16 of the Hanoi Convention in addressing image-based abuse and promoting online safety and dignity.

On this occasion, delegates shared national legislative approaches and enforcement strategies to protect vulnerable groups in cyberspace. Through the exchange, the seminar focused on examining the challenges in implementing effective legal, technical, and victim support measures. Delegates affirmed the importance of promoting international cooperation and exchanging best practices to protect, leave no one behind, and ensure justice for victims in the digital age.

The seminar took place on October 26th, as part of the signing ceremony and high-level conference of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention). (Photo: Thanh Long)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/cong-uoc-ha-noi-la-chan-bao-ve-phu-nu-va-tre-em-khoi-bi-xam-hai-tren-khong-gian-mang-332264.html