UNIS/CP/1183
24 December 2024
I welcome the landmark adoption of a new international convention on cybercrime by the United Nations General Assembly.
This remarkable step represents the first UN international legal instrument on crime-related issues in over 20 years, and it comes at exactly the right time.
Technology is transformative and is building remarkable bridges across borders and barriers, and opening new pathways for humanity.
But cybercriminals are misusing those advances, and cybercrime is becoming more pervasive and destructive every day.
In this age of artificial intelligence, blockchain encryption, and digitized services, cybercrime is finding new spaces to exploit.
It is giving rise to new forms of crime, amplifying traditional forms of crime, and disrupting economies and industries.
It is targeting the most vulnerable and undermining the Sustainable Development Goals.
It is eroding trust in our digital infrastructure, our institutions, and in each other, and it is moving across jurisdictions like never before.
The need for cooperation and action has never been greater.
That is why the new international convention on cybercrime is a landmark step.
The new convention is a basis for more effective criminal laws and procedures, as well as stronger international cooperation.
It will also provide a roadmap for preventive measures and technical assistance.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime is ready to work with countries and partners to put this important convention into action.
By safeguarding digital spaces, we can build a safer world for all.
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The UN Convention against Cybercrime aims to prevent and combat cybercrime more efficiently and effectively, including by strengthening international cooperation and by providing technical assistance and capacity-building support, particularly for developing countries.
I welcome the landmark adoption of a new international convention on cybercrime by the United Nations General Assembly. This remarkable step represents the first UN international legal instrument on crime-related issues in over 20 years, and it comes at exactly the right time.
"On this International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, I call on countries to heed the lessons of past health emergencies to help prepare for the next." — António Guterres
The new Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations (Vienna), Matilda Aku Alomatu Osei-Agyeman, presented her credentials today to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), Ghada Waly.
