Vietnam becomes world's 2nd country to ratify UN cybercrime convention

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam signed the ratification decision on Tuesday, a significant milestone in Vietnam’s international integration and digital governance efforts.

Named after Vietnam’s capital, the convention is the first UN treaty to bear the name of a Vietnamese location, reflecting the Southeast Asian country’s growing role and capacity in addressing global challenges.

As the host country, Vietnam worked closely with the UN to organize the opening for signature of the convention in Hanoi in October 2025.

The event brought together senior leaders and representatives from more than 110 countries and international organizations.

At the signing ceremony, 72 countries signed the convention, which serves as a platform for promoting dialogue, cooperation, and confidence-building within the international community on issues related to cybersecurity and cyberspace governance.

Qatar was the first country to ratify the treaty, while Vietnam’s swift completion of domestic ratification procedures makes it the second globally and the first in Southeast Asia to become a full party to the Hanoi Convention.

The foreign ministry said this demonstrates Vietnam’s consistent commitment to international law, the UN Charter, and multilateral cooperation.

As a full member, Vietnam will be able to contribute more substantively to the development of the international legal framework governing cyberspace.

The Hanoi Convention provides an important legal foundation for Vietnam to strengthen its capacity to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute cybercrime, while meeting national security and public order requirements amid rapid digital transformation and deeper global integration.

It is also expected to support the continued improvement of Vietnam’s domestic legal system, ensuring alignment with international standards and obligations, while enhancing institutional capacity, technical capabilities, and human resources for cybercrime prevention and control.

The convention comprises nine chapters and 68 articles, establishing a comprehensive international legal framework for cooperation in combating cybercrime.

It defines a range of criminal offenses, including illegal access, system interference, online child exploitation, and money laundering derived from criminal activities.

It also sets out jurisdictional rules and investigative measures to enable countries to collect evidence and effectively prosecute cybercrime cases.

The framework provides procedural and law enforcement tools, promotes international cooperation in investigation and prosecution, and emphasizes preventive measures, including capacity building and cybersecurity awareness.

Technical assistance and information sharing are also key components of the convention.

The Hanoi Convention has been signed by 75 countries so far and will enter into force 90 days after being ratified by 40 signatory nations.