The ‘Hanoi Convention’ against cybercrime: managing risks

In October 2025, the new United Nations convention against cybercrime will be opened for signature in Hanoi, Vietnam. This is a major political achievement given that for more than 30 years agreement on such a treaty was not feasible at the level of the United Nations. The primary reason for this delay had been the perception by most democratic countries that such a United Nations treaty would entail major risks to human rights, the rule of law and a free and open internet. The question now is whether such risks have been sufficiently addressed in the final text of the new ‘Hanoi Convention’ and how remaining risks could be managed in the future.