The Government News on August 12 quoted Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu as stating in an interview following the UN Ad Hoc Committee on Cybercrime’s adoption of the draft convention against cybercrime that the UN convention against cybercrime holds great significance to Vietnam.

According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest number of Internet users, at 78.44 million as of the start of 2024, equivalent to 79.1 % of the population.

There were nearly 16,000 reports about online scams in the country last year, causing losses of VND390 trillion, equal to $15.5 billion and surging by 64.78 percent from 2022, he said, adding that since the beginning of 2023, Vietnam has recorded more than 13,750 cyberattacks causing serious disruptions to information systems.

According to him, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, and other agencies of Vietnam have engaged in the discussion and negotiation of the draft convention from the initial stage in 2022.

The consistent support for the establishment of a negotiation mechanism and the active participation in the eight sessions of the Ad Hoc Committee sent out a strong message that Vietnam is an active and responsible member of the international community and is joining hands with others to deal with global issues and to contribute to a peaceful and stable global environment, Deputy Foreign Minister Vu said.

He noted that the draft provides a detailed and comprehensive legal framework for local authorities to establish and boost the effectiveness of co-operation with other countries’ law enforcement forces.

Since there remains a gap in the scientific - technological capacity and digital infrastructure among countries, the draft convention opens up opportunities for developing nations, including Vietnam, to participate in and benefit from technical support, he remarked. Adding that other areas include capacity building and technology transfer mechanisms, all of which will help developing countries improve their cybercrime prevention and response capacity to subsequently build a healthier and safer global cyberspace.

According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, Vietnam has engaged in negotiations from the beginning and had made practical contributions to the contents pertaining to law enforcement, capacity building, and technology transfer. It also took part in coordinating the regulations on professional measures.

In particular, it showed close, effective, and comprehensive engagement in the contents about diplomatic, legal, and technical matters.

Following the Ad Hoc Committee’s adoption, the draft convention will be submitted to the UN General Assembly for official approval as soon as possible. After that the convention will be open for member states to sign by December 31, 2026.