The 'firsts' in the Hanoi Convention

On the sidelines of the signing ceremony of the United Nations (UN) Convention against Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention), on October 26, Mr. John Brandolino, Director of the Department of International Treaty Affairs at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), gave an interview to The World and Vietnam Newspaper about the significance of the Convention.

Mr. John Brandolino, Director of the Department of International Treaty Affairs at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). (Photo: Diep Thao)

Can you tell us what the global significance of the Hanoi Convention is for international efforts to address and prevent cybercrime?

This is the first global convention designed to address cybercrime.

We have had several treaties before, but they were all regional in scope. This is a truly global convention, with more than 150 countries negotiating it. Any UN member state can join and become a signatory.

The Hanoi Convention has made many breakthroughs. For example, it criminalizes for the first time certain crimes such as cyber extortion, online fraud, and money laundering related to cybercrime. At the same time, it is the first global legal framework regulating the preservation, retrieval, and sharing of evidence between governments .

In addition, the Hanoi Convention includes many other innovations. For example, it is the first global convention to address capacity building and the way forward to help governments get ready to implement the convention and cooperate effectively with each other.

Given the borderless nature of cybercrime, what are the international cooperation models or strategic experiences that have proven to be most effective in preventing and combating this type of crime globally?

In principle, the UN does not interfere in the way each country develops or enforces its own laws. However, we can collect and share practical experiences - measures that have been effective in fighting cybercrime, as well as point out what is not suitable so that countries can learn from them.

In addition, we support governments in improving legal systems and enforcement mechanisms to improve the effectiveness of handling cybercrime.

The reality is that cybercrime is constantly changing and becoming more sophisticated, so we must constantly learn and update our responses. For example, in the field of online fraud, we are gaining a better understanding of how criminal organizations operate, including the formation of “fraud centers” where people are bought and sold and forced to participate in cybercrime.

By understanding the forms and methods of these crimes, countries will have the basis to build more appropriate and effective measures. However, cybercrime is constantly changing, so we need to always be proactive and flexible to promptly respond to new challenges.

What message do you want to send to the international community on the occasion of the signing ceremony of the Hanoi Convention?

This is a very important event. For the first time, we have a global treaty - one that can attract the participation of most countries in the world , working together to tackle cybercrime.

Information flows can move anywhere, criminals can commit their crimes anywhere in the world, while the victim can be in a completely different place.

Because of its cross-border nature, the signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime is a historic milestone, marking an important step forward as governments work together to build more effective coordination mechanisms to respond to cybercrime.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nhung-lan-dau-tien-co-trong-cong-uoc-ha-noi-332186.html