Iran signs first UN treaty to fight cybercrime
Iran signed a landmark United Nations treaty aimed at tackling cybercrime – a move Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hailed as a historic step toward a safer digital world.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vahid Jalalzadeh participated in the signing ceremony on behalf of Iran, which was held in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, on Saturday.
“Hanoi today witnessed the global determination to stand up to unilateralism in combating cybercrime. The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a responsible member of the international community, has played a constructive role over the past four years in the drafting process of this convention,” Jalalzadeh said in a post on X.
Adopted by the General Assembly in December 2024 after five years of negotiations, the convention against cybercrime establishes the first universal framework for investigating and prosecuting offences committed online – from ransomware and financial fraud to the non-consensual sharing of intimate images.
“The UN Cybercrime Convention is a powerful, legally binding instrument to strengthen our collective defenses against cybercrime,” said Guterres at the signing ceremony.
“It is a testament to the continued power of multilateralism to deliver solutions. And it is a vow that no country, no matter their level of development, will be left defenseless against cybercrime.”
Sixty-five countries signed the treaty in Hanoi.
While creating opportunities, the internet has also brought about challenges and threats that everyone has felt in various sectors, the Iranian official said in a televised interview on Saturday.
“Today, Hanoi was the center of manifestation of this political will against unilateralism, in which Iran also played its constructive role,” Jalalzadeh added.
The Iranian official noted that Tehran has made it clear that the treaty must not violate its national sovereignty or domestic laws.