65 countries sign first UN treaty to fight cybercrime

Sixty-five nations have signed a landmark United Nations treaty in Hanoi aimed at tackling cybercrime - a move Secretary-General António Guterres hailed as a historic step toward a safer digital world.

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Adopted by the General Assembly in December 2024 after five years of negotiation, the Convention against Cybercrime establishes the first universal framework for investigating and prosecuting offences committed online - from ransomware and financial fraud to the non-consensual sharing of intimate images.

"The UN Cybercrime Convention is a powerful, legally binding instrument to strengthen our collective defences against cybercrime," said Guterres at the signing ceremony on Saturday.

"It is a testament to the continued power of multilateralism to deliver solutions. And it is a vow that no country, no matter their level of development, will be left defenceless against cybercrime."

The signing ceremony was hosted by Vietnam in collaboration with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), drawing senior officials, diplomats and experts from across regions.

The new treaty criminalises a range of cyber-dependent and cyber-enabled offences, facilitates the sharing of electronic evidence across borders and establishes a 24/7 cooperation network among States.

It also makes history as the first international treaty to recognise the non-consensual dissemination of intimate images as an offence - a significant victory for victims of online abuse.

It will enter into force 90 days after the 40th State deposits its ratification.