Why in the news?

• At a ceremony held in Hanoi, Vietnam, 72 of the UN member states signed the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime.

United Nations Convention against Cybercrime

• What is it?:
  • It is the world’s first legally binding global treaty dedicated to tackling cybercrime and enhancing international cooperation for cybercrime investigations, evidence sharing, and prosecution.
  • The Convention was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2024 (Resolution 79/243) and opened for signature in Hanoi, Vietnam, in October 2025. It will enter into force 90 days after at least 40 member states ratify it.
• Objectives:
  • Strengthen international cooperation and establish a global framework to prevent, investigate, and prosecute cybercrimes.​
  • Facilitate cross-border sharing and collection of electronic evidence for serious offences.​
  • Empower developing nations through technical assistance and capacity building programs.
• Key Provisions:
  • Criminalization: States are required to legislate against unauthorized access (hacking), data interference, online fraud, money laundering, distribution of child sexual abuse material, and non-consensual dissemination of intimate images.​
  • International Cooperation: Outlines mutual legal assistance, extradition, and establishes a global 24/7 network for swift coordination in cybercrime matters.​
  • Procedural Measures: Specifies guidelines for search, seizure, freezing, and confiscation of digital evidence, while respecting national laws and sovereignty.​
  • Human Rights and Data Protection: Implementation must be consistent with international human rights law and ensure appropriate safeguards in personal data transfer.​
  • Child Protection: Mandates criminalization of the production, sale, and distribution of online child exploitation material.
• Implementation Mechanism:
  • Monitored by the Conference of the States Parties, with UNODC acting as the secretariat, offering guidance, technical support, and training for member implementation.​
  • Non-signatories can accede later through formal notification.
• Significance:
  • Sets a global legal standard for cybercrime response, filling a major gap in international law.
  • Recognizes cybercrime as a threat that transcends borders, emphasizing sovereign rights while fostering collective response.​
  • An important step toward protecting societies from digital threats, ensuring capacity for rapid data exchange, and shielding vulnerable populations, especially children, from cybersecurity risks.
• India and the Convention:
  • India participated in the drafting but has not signed the Convention as of October 2025, continuing its policy of shaping global digital governance independently (also did not sign the Budapest Convention).