On June 4-5, 2025, the Vietnamese inter-agency delegation, led by Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu, participated in the Octopus Conference on Combating Cybercrime held at the Council of Europe building in Strasbourg, France.

The conference was attended by representatives from over 100 member and observer states to the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention), including many ministerial-level delegations such as those from Malta, Guatemala, and Ghana, as well as experts, researchers in the field of cybercrime prevention, and relevant international and non-governmental organizations.

At the opening plenary session, the Vietnamese delegation and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) co-organized a side event titled: “International Conventions on Cybercrime: The New United Nations Convention on Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention) and Its Relationship with the Budapest Convention”.

Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu delivered remarks sharing information about the United Nations Convention on Cybercrime and the upcoming signing ceremony scheduled to take place in Hanoi on October 25-26, 2025. He emphasized the significance of the Convention, particularly for the Asia-Pacific region, in addressing legal gaps in international cooperation to combat cybercrime, which is rapidly increasing globally. The Convention provides a common legal framework to promote responsible behavior in cyberspace and to help countries collaborate and engage more closely in preventing and combating high-tech crime.

The Convention also serves as a complementary international cooperation tool aligned with the Budapest Convention, open for participation by all states, including Council of Europe members. Therefore, beyond its legal significance, the signing ceremony will feature high-level discussions, side events, and exhibitions, aiming to establish a dialogue platform, share best practices, and create momentum for the Convention to enter into force and be effectively implemented. On behalf of the State and Government of Viet Nam, Ambassador Vũ extended an invitation to all Budapest Convention member states, regional and international organizations, and relevant NGOs to attend the signing ceremony this October, reflecting a collective commitment to building a safe, fair, and law-based digital future.

During the exchanges, experts from UNODC, the European Commission (EC), and Microsoft affirmed that the Hanoi Convention is highly compatible with the Budapest Convention. This compatibility will make it easier for states to implement both legal frameworks simultaneously and will facilitate cooperation in implementation, especially in capacity-building activities and the 24/7 cooperation model. Drawing from experience with the Budapest Convention, experts also stressed the effectiveness and necessity of enhancing cooperation between authorities and the tech industry in combating and preventing cybercrime.

On the sidelines of the conference, Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu and the Vietnamese delegation held bilateral meetings with the Minister of Information Technology and Innovation of Ghana, the Deputy Minister of Interior of Guatemala, the Deputy Director General of the National Cybersecurity Agency of Malaysia, and heads of delegations from Nigeria, Australia, France, among others. These exchanges focused on issues related to cybercrime and included invitations to high-level representatives of these countries to attend the upcoming signing ceremony. Overall, the countries expressed strong interest and indicated that they are completing internal procedures to send delegations to Viet Nam for the event.