Vietnam announces date for signing ceremony of UN Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi

The signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime will take place from October 25-26 in Hanoi. President Luong Cuong and the United Nations Secretary-General are expected to co-chair the event.

The Vietnamese delegation attended the 34th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ34) in Vienna, Austria. (Photo: Bao Chi)

On May 19, a Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang, together with representatives from the Government Office , the Ministries of National Defense, Public Security, Foreign Affairs, Justice, the Supreme People's Procuracy and the Vietnamese Embassy in Austria attended the 34th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ34) in Vienna, Austria.

With the participation of more than a thousand delegates from UN member states, CCPCJ34 is the final session before the 15th UN High-Level Conference on Crime Prevention (Crime Congress), held in the UAE in 2026, focusing on discussing the report on the results of the Regional Preparatory Conferences held in 2025, completing and approving the preparatory documents for the 15th Summit, and preparing to enter into negotiations on the draft Abu Dhabi Declaration.

The highlight of this year's session was the international attention paid to the event of the UN unanimously adopting the Convention against Cybercrime ( Hanoi Convention), the first UN document on crime prevention in more than 20 years, establishing a new international legal framework with tools to promote international cooperation in preventing cybercrime.

Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang speaks at the opening session. (Photo: Bao Chi)

Speaking at the opening session, Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang informed the Conference about the Vietnamese Government 's efforts in perfecting the legal framework on criminal justice and enhancing international cooperation in crime prevention, including the initiative of Vietnam hosting the signing ceremony of the Hanoi Convention, which is a testament to Vietnam's commitment to being an active member of the international community.

Vietnamese delegation attends CCPCJ34 meeting in Vienna, Austria. (Photo: Bao Chi)

At the Conference, the Deputy Minister also officially announced the date of the opening ceremony for the signing of the Convention in Hanoi on October 25-26, 2025. President Luong Cuong and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are expected to co-chair the event.

Through the highest diplomatic channels, Vietnam is sending the President's invitation to all Heads of State of the UN member states to Hanoi to attend the signing ceremony.

Specific information about the signing ceremony was introduced by Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang and the Vietnamese delegation at the seminar "Road to Hanoi: Signing Ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime", taking place at 3:00 p.m. on May 19, with the online and in-person participation of more than 200 delegates.

The seminar demonstrated the close coordination between the Vietnamese Government, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the UNODC Director General, Ms. Gathi Waly, in organizing the signing ceremony of the Convention to ensure the stature, scale and historical significance of this event in Hanoi.

The seminar “The Road to Hanoi: Opening Ceremony for the Signing of the UN Convention against Cybercrime” was co-chaired by Vietnam and UNODC. (Photo: Bao Chi)

Speaking at the seminar, Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang emphasized that the Convention demonstrates the international community's commitment to multilateralism, creating a legal framework for international cooperation to effectively address cybercrime - a threat to socio-economic development.

The Deputy Minister affirmed that the signing ceremony of this Convention is not only a simple signing event but also conveys a message about international cooperation in preventing and combating cybercrime, calling on countries to attend the Conference, sign and soon ratify the Convention so that it can take effect, promoting effective international cooperation in the field of preventing and combating cybercrime.

In her opening speech at the Dialogue, Ms. Waly pledged to support Vietnam in organizing the signing ceremony, expressing her belief that this would be a successful event, marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations on October 24.

Representatives from Africa (Algeria) and Asia (Japan) also mentioned the role of the Convention for the region and emphasized their support for Vietnam in its role as host country of the signing ceremony.

Regarding the preparation for the signing ceremony, the Vietnamese side said that Vietnam and UNODC are actively coordinating to develop the program for the signing ceremony, sideline activities and discussions related to the Convention.

Also within the framework of the Conference, the delegation had a private meeting with the UNODC Director General to discuss preparations for the signing ceremony as well as initiatives to promote Vietnam-UNODC cooperation in crime prevention.

The delegation also met and discussed with delegations from several countries that have actively participated in the negotiation process of the Convention such as Russia, Algeria, Thailand, Saint Kitts & Nevis, presented invitations from the President to the Heads of State of these countries, and discussed plans for cooperation in organizing events in Hanoi next October.

Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang works with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. (Photo: Bao Chi)

On the occasion of working at the UN Office in Vienna, Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang and the delegation had a working session with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Rafael Mariano Grossi.

The two sides discussed the cooperation situation between Vietnam and the IAEA in the field of nuclear energy and a number of proposals to support Vietnam in building a legal framework, providing policy advice, transferring technology, sharing experiences and training human resources to help Vietnam enhance its capacity for research, development and application of nuclear technology in general and in successfully implementing the first nuclear power plant project in particular, ensuring nuclear security and safety at the highest standards.

Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang invited Director General Grossi to visit Vietnam again in the near future. Mr. Grossi happily accepted the invitation, believing in Vietnam's determination to build a nuclear power plant and supporting the direction of promoting private sector cooperation with the IAEA.

The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) is one of the key periodic conferences of the United Nations, playing an important role in developing international rules, standards, policies and frameworks for international cooperation in the field of crime prevention, combating and criminal justice.

The CCPCJ is also the executive body of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the preparatory body for the United Nations High-level Conference on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (High-level Crime Conference).

Previously, Vietnam coordinated with UNODC to organize a series of events to introduce and promote the Hanoi Convention and the Hanoi Convention signing ceremony in all continents around the world, on the sidelines of the Regional Preparatory Conferences for High-Level Crime in Bangkok (Thailand), San Jose (Costa Rica), Vienna (Austria), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Marakesh (Morocco)...

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/viet-nam-cong-bo-ngay-to-chuc-le-mo-ky-cong-oc-cua-lien-hop-quoc-ve-chong-toi-pham-mang-tai-ha-noi-314920.html