Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son presided over a meeting of the steering board for the Opening for Signature of the UN Convention against Cybercrime and related events in Vietnam on October 13.
Established by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the board is tasked with advising and proposing effective solutions for the organisation of the signing ceremony of the UN convention and related activities, scheduled for October 25-26 in Hanoi. The committee also coordinates and supervises the participation of relevant ministries and localities to ensure smooth organisation of the event.
At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Public Security Pham The Tung said his ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and competent ministries and agencies have actively prepared for the event since early this year. As of October 8, more than 100 delegations representing UN member states and international organisations confirmed attendance. The event will also draw technology corporations, researchers, and international media outlets, Tung added.
The Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been working closely with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to finalise the event’s agenda, which includes an official welcome ceremony for heads of delegations, a high-level opening session co-chaired by State President Luong Cuong and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and the signing ceremony of the convention.
According to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang, on the sidelines of the event will be eight discussions, 32 workshops, and over 20 exhibition booths of participating countries and organisations focusing on science, technology, digital transformation, cybersecurity, and cybercrime prevention.
Concluding the meeting, Deputy PM Son underscored that the UN’s decision to choose Hanoi as the host city is a historic milestone as it marks the first time a global multilateral convention in such a critical field has been associated with a Vietnamese venue.
Praising the ministries' and Hanoi’s preparation, he urged all subcommittees to accelerate their efforts, ensuring the highest quality in both planning and implementation, and report to the steering board on emerging challenges beyond their authority.
Regarding specific tasks, he ordered the Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue collaborating with the President’s Office and related agencies to complete the master plan and proposals covering content, finance and logistics, diplomacy and high-level advocacy, protocol, media and culture, and security-health care.
The Ministry of Finance was assigned to promptly consolidate budget proposals from ministries and sectors and set expenditure norms for the event.
Additionally, he laid stress on the need for early and comprehensive security measures, smooth traffic flow, and communications work before, during, and after the ceremony.
The UN Convention against Cybercrime originated in 2019 with the development of the first universal, globally comprehensive draft instrument. Vietnam, alongside other UN member states, supported the UN in launching the negotiation process for this groundbreaking document.
Following eight official negotiation sessions and five intersessional meetings from February 2022 to August 2024, the UN General Assembly formally adopted the convention on December 24, 2024. This convention promises to become an important legal instrument with universal, global coverage enabling all member states to cooperate in preventing and combating cybercrime./.
