EU official calls for stronger global cooperation against cybercrime at Hanoi Convention signing

Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on the sidelines of Saturday’s signing ceremony, Onidi praised Vietnam for leading the event and said the convention provides a framework for countries to work together against crimes that often involve perpetrators in one country, proxies in another, and victims elsewhere.

“In such a complex configuration, you really need judicial and police forces to cooperate in very different circumstances,” he said.

He called the convention “very important” for enabling countries to share critical information for investigations, strengthen resilience against cybercriminal acts, and safeguard fundamental human rights, including the protection of private communications and personal data.

Drawing on the European Union’s own experience, Onidi stressed the need for countries to build legal frameworks aligned with the convention, and to train police officers, prosecutors, and judges to understand cybercrime, gather admissible evidence, and protect victims.

Highlighting the challenges posed by the cross-border nature of cybercrime and varying technical capacities, Onidi said priority areas for the convention include legal adaptation of national laws and sharing of best practices and expertise among countries.

Onidi also noted the convention’s robust safeguards on personal data, which he said will incentivize member states to strengthen national legislation to protect citizens’ private information while combating cybercrime.

The Hanoi Convention was signed on Saturday at Vietnam’s National Convention Center by representatives of nearly 70 countries, in a ceremony attended by Vietnamese State President Luong Cuong and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

The treaty aims to enhance global cooperation in tackling cybercrime and harmonizing international legal frameworks.