It is the world’s first legally binding global convention to prevent and respond to cybercrimes, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2024.
- It will enter into force 90 days after ratification by at least 40 UN member states.
About UN Convention against Cybercrime
- Electronic Evidence: It is the first global framework for the collection, sharing and use of electronic evidence for all serious offences, establishing a global standard.
- Criminalization of Cybercrimes: First global treaty to criminalize cyber-dependent crimes and also offences related to online fraud, online child sexual abuse and exploitation material and online grooming of children.
- It is first in recognising non-consensual dissemination of intimate images as an offence.
- Global Network: It creates the first global 24/7 Cooperation Network where countries can quickly initiate cooperation.
Cybercrimes
- Cybercrime falls into two broad categories: cyber-enabled and cyber-dependent.
- Cyber-enabled crimes include traditional criminal activities conducted online, such as trafficking, fraud, and incitement to violence and hate.
- Cyber-dependent crimes are those committed through the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices, including phishing, identity theft, and the deployment of malware and ransomware.
- Threat: Cybercrimes transcend geographic boundaries, targeting systems, networks, and individuals with unprecedented speed and efficiency.
- Regions like Southeast Asia have been described as “ground zero” for organized cybercrime operations.
