HCMC – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has described the Signing Ceremony and High-level Conference of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, or the “Hanoi Convention”, as a historic event, which is taking place at a time when multilateralism is facing numerous global challenges.
At the National Convention Center in Hanoi today afternoon, October 25, PM Chinh and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres co-chaired a press conference on the Signing Ceremony and High-level Conference of the UN Convention against Cybercrime.
The PM expressed his gratitude to the UN Secretary-General and the United Nations for their efforts to strengthen global solidarity and promote multilateralism amid recent global difficulties.
He welcomed delegates and distinguished guests to Vietnam and to Hanoi — a thousand-year-old capital of culture, a city for peace, and the capital of conscience and human dignity — where they could gain a deeper understanding of Vietnam’s people, traditions, culture, history, and hospitality.
Holding the signing ceremony in Hanoi — outside the UN headquarters but with participation from representatives of more than 100 countries, 65 of which have already signed the convention — demonstrates the international community’s strong commitment to this issue, while underscoring Vietnam’s growing role, position, influence, and prestige on the global stage.
Combating cybercrime is not a matter for any single country or individual but a universal, comprehensive, and global task, he noted. Therefore, it is essential to uphold multilateralism and foster international solidarity, as no nation or person is safe if others remain unsafe or threatened in cyberspace.
Cybercrime, he stressed, harms not only economies and material assets but also people’s psychology, spirit, and cultural life.
Despite facing numerous difficulties and challenges, Vietnam has remained resilient, maintaining stability and development to bring a better, happier life to its people while contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Vietnam continues to safeguard its independence, sovereignty, political stability, and social order, achieving positive results that affirm its position among the world’s top 46 countries in cybersecurity, reported the Government of Vietnam news website, adding that it is internationally recognized as a “model” nation with strong commitment and capability in cybersecurity — ranking 16th globally, 3rd in ASEAN, and 4th in the Asia-Pacific region.
For his part, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said this was a historic moment, made even more meaningful by taking place in Vietnam — a hub of innovation and technology, an increasingly vital link in the global electronics supply chain, and a country with huge digital potential as well as significant challenges.
Every day, cyberattacks inflict unpredictable consequences, yet there has been no unified global framework to prevent or combat them, he added. The convention, therefore, provides a new tool to prevent and fight cybercrime while safeguarding human rights, protecting children, controlling cross-border data flows, and establishing a 24/7 cooperation network to help countries share information, recover stolen assets, and protect victims.
After the signing, countries will move toward ratifying the convention and implementing related training, capacity building, and investment activities to put it into practice. The UN will support these efforts, said Guterres.
Once again, Secretary-General Guterres thanked Vietnam for hosting the event and for its pioneering role in international forums. “This convention will protect us all,” he said.
