UN Convention against Cybercrime signing ceremony & high-level conference
The signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime will take place in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 25-26 October 2025. It convenes government leaders, legal experts, law enforcement representatives and cybersecurity stakeholders from around the world.
The convention aims to establish a global legal framework for cooperation in preventing, investigating, and prosecuting cybercrimes, including offences such as unauthorised access to ICT systems, online fraud, child exploitation, money laundering through virtual assets, and the sharing of cross-border evidence. It also sets out mechanisms for mutual legal assistance, extradition, capacity-building and technology transfer, with a particular focus on enabling developing countries to bridge digital-governance and enforcement gaps.
The programme on 25 October will commence with a welcome ceremony and a group photo for heads of delegations, followed by a high-level opening session and a formal signing ceremony, managed by the UN Office of Legal Affairs. A plenary session, co-chaired by the Prime Minister of Viet Nam and the UN Secretary-General, will feature national statements from member states, international organisations, and regional bodies. Throughout the day, parallel high-level side events will explore topics such as Safeguarding citizens in the digital transformation era, Global cooperation in countering online scams, Capacity-building as a pillar of global cooperation, and Collecting electronic evidence in cryptocurrency and money-laundering investigations.
On 26 October, plenary discussions will continue with statements from heads of delegation and multistakeholder representatives, followed by a series of thematic roundtables. These will address protecting women and children from online abuse, national implementation of the convention, collaborative prevention strategies, and the role of the Convention in safeguarding sovereignty and strengthening multilateralism. Additional side events will run in parallel throughout the day, culminating in the official closing ceremony in the afternoon.