Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 10th August. UN Office on Drugs and CrimE reported on Friday that the UN Member States have finalized a new treaty targeting cybercrime, in a press release issued in New York.
The committee established by the UN General Assembly to negotiate the convention agreed on a draft text on Thursday after years of negotiations.
The draft convention is expected to be adopted by the General Assembly later this year, will become the first global legally binding instrument on cybercrime.
UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly said “The finalisation of this convention is a landmark step as the first multilateral anti-crime treaty in over 20 years and the first UN Convention against Cybercrime at a time when threats in cyberspace are growing rapidly.”
The achievement represents the culmination of a five-year effort by Member States, with the input of civil society, academic institutions and the private sector.
UNODC served as the substantive secretariat for the negotiations.
“We will continue to play a central role in assisting in the implementation and ratification of the convention, once adopted by the General Assembly, as well as providing technical assistance to Member States as we work with all countries and partners to safeguard digital spaces,” Ms. Waly said.
According to the draft convention, technology has created opportunities for a greater scale, speed and scope of crimes, from terrorism to drug trafficking to trafficking in persons, migrant smuggling, firearms trafficking and more, the UNODC stated.
It provides tools that will enhance international cooperation, law enforcement efforts, technical assistance and capacity building relating to cybercrime, it added.
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