Russian President Vladimir Putin called the signing of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention) a historic event, emphasizing that this could be done with the support of the majority of countries in the world for the initiative launched by Russia.
On October 25, in a message to those attending the signing ceremony in Hanoi, Mr. Putin said: "This historic event has become possible thanks to the support of most countries in the world for the initiative launched by Russia in 2019 to build a comprehensive international treaty on combating the use of information and communications technology for criminal purposes".
The Russian President's message was read at the ceremony by Russian Prosecutor General Alexander gutsan.
Mr. Putin emphasized that this treaty is called for to fight against one of the global challenges of the times - illegal actions in the digital space.
"Crimes of this type, often related to terrorism and propaganda of extreme ideology, illegal drug and weapons trafficking, pose a serious threat to the security of each citizen and the entire country," Putin said.
Cybercrime has become a global burning issue in recent decades, with the increase of malware attacks, online scams, personal and financial data theft, as well as cyber Escape activities and attacks on critical state-sponsored infrastructure. Due to the complex cross-border nature of this type of crime, building a common international legal framework for cooperation in investigating and prosecuting crimes is extremely necessary but also full of challenges.
Russia's 2019 initiative to promote a comprehensive United Nations Convention has faced many difficult negotiations due to differences in views between countries on issues such as cyberspace sovereignty, data privacy and the definition of cybercrime. The signing of this treaty is considered an important step forward after many years of efforts.
The Russian leader also stressed that Moscow always leaves open the door to international cooperation in this field. "I would like to emphasize that Russia is ready for very close international cooperation in fighting cybercrime," Putin affirmed.
