STATEMENT OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA ON THE
SIGNING CEREMONY AND HIGH-LEVEL EVENT OF THE UNITED
NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST CYBERCRIME
25 OCTOBER 2025
HANOI, VIETNAM

Government of the United Republic of Tanzania
Mr. President,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

At this momentous occasion, I bring with me fraternal greetings from Her Excellency, Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, and the people of the United Republic of Tanzania. I am honoured and humbled to represent her at this historic event. Through you, I also extend profound gratitude to His Excellency, Luong Cuong, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and the people of Vietnam, especially in this beautiful city of Hanoi, for hosting this landmark event and for hospitality accorded to us since our arrival.

Mr President,

The world has witnessed an epochal transformation on technology, mainly on the digital space. However, the much-celebrated successes come with new challenges, one of them being crimes associated with the digital technology. Fiscal and financial systems have become more agile and efficient, but so as associated crimes such as tax evasion, financial fraud, and terrorism financing. Digital platforms have also been abused to elevate crimes against women and children, including bullying and sexual exploitation. In young democracies, the digital space has also been a
source of seditious activities that destabilized some countries and derailed their development. The world needed to come together to address all forms of cybercrimes without compromising on the benefits gained from the unprecedented technological development.

Mr. President,

The road to consensus on the international Convention in combating cybercrimes was not only complex but also contentious, given the divergences among delegations. In this regard, the adoption of the Convention marks a landmark victory for multilateralism. The United Republic of Tanzania is also pleased that the Convention recognizes, and attempts to address, issues of asymmetry in capacity and technology between developed and developing countries. This may prove critical for many developing and most vulnerable countries.

Mr. President,

Looking ahead, as signatories to this Convention, we are faced with the task of its domestication bearing in mind cultural diversity and realities on the ground. On this regard, The United Republic of Tanzania takes comfort
from the fact that the Convention is anchored on robust conditions and safeguards, which are to be applied in tandem with the application of the powers and procedures that it enunciates. In our view, this adoption,
though unprecedented in United Nations criminal instruments, is necessary given the intrusive nature of some of the procedural measures established by the Convention.

Mr. President,

In conclusion, the United Republic of Tanzania reaffirms its commitment to discharging its obligations under existing United Nations Conventions in advancing crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law. We further reaffirm our commitment to combating cybercrime and protecting the rights of victims. The far-reaching effects of cybercrimes and other serious organised crimes, which have, through the use of ICTs, increased in speed, scale and scope, leave us with no other choice. We cannot do anything less. This is our shared responsibility.

I thank you, Mr President.