On May 19, 2025, the Vietnamese delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang and including representatives from the Government Office, Ministries of National Defense, Public Security, Foreign Affairs, Justice, the Supreme People’s Procuracy, and the Vietnamese Embassy in Austria, participated in the 34th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ34) in Vienna, Austria.

With over one thousand delegates from UN member states in attendance, CCPCJ34 is the final session leading up to the 15th UN Crime Congress to be held in the UAE in 2026. The session focused on reviewing the outcomes of the regional preparatory meetings held in 2025, finalizing and approving documents for the 15th Crime Congress, and preparing for negotiations on the draft Abu Dhabi Declaration.

A highlight of this year’s session was the UN’s consensus adoption of the United Nations Convention on Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention), the first UN instrument on crime prevention in over 20 years, establishing a new international legal framework to promote international cooperation against cybercrime.

In her opening statement, Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang updated the session on the Vietnamese Government’s efforts to improve the national criminal justice framework and strengthen international cooperation in crime prevention. She highlighted Viet Nam’s initiative to host the Signing Ceremony of the Hanoi Convention as evidence of Viet Nam’s commitment as an active member of the international community. She officially announced that the signing ceremony will take place in Hanoi on October 25-26, 2025. President Luong Cuong of Viet Nam and UN Secretary-General António Guterres are expected to co-chair the event. On May 16, 2025, President Lương Cường signed invitations addressed to Heads of State of Convention member countries to attend the ceremony in Hanoi.

A key event of CCPCJ34 was the panel discussion “The Road to Hanoi: Signing Ceremony of the United Nations Convention on Cybercrime,” held on the afternoon of May 19, 2025, with the in-person and online participation of over XXX delegates. The discussion introduced the Convention and highlighted preparations by the Vietnamese Government in coordination with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for the signing ceremony. Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang and UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly delivered the opening remarks.

As the first criminal justice treaty in over two decades, the UN Convention on Cybercrime criminalizes cybercrime and cyber-enabled crimes; it also establishes mechanisms for international cooperation including 24/7 contact points, electronic evidence sharing, and joint investigations, in addition to traditional legal assistance channels. To ensure the Convention’s substantive effectiveness, Viet Nam and UNODC urged signatory countries to ratify the Convention after signing.

At the panel discussion, Deputy Minister Hang emphasized that the Convention represents the international community’s commitment to multilateralism and creates a legal framework for international cooperation in effectively addressing cybercrime – an increasing threat to socio-economic development. She noted that the Signing Ceremony is not merely a formal event, but a meaningful message of global solidarity in cybercrime prevention. She called on countries to participate in the ceremony, sign, and swiftly ratify the Convention to bring it into force and enable effective international cooperation.

Regarding preparations, the Vietnamese side confirmed that Viet Nam and UNODC are working closely to develop the official signing ceremony program, side events, and thematic discussions related to the Convention. At the panel, many countries commended Viet Nam’s thorough preparations. Representatives from various nations expressed appreciation for Viet Nam’s efforts and encouraged attendance at the ceremony in Hanoi this October. They also highlighted the importance of early entry into force of the Convention to combat cybercrime effectively and urged prompt signing and ratification.

Also at the conference, the Vietnamese delegation held a bilateral meeting with the UNODC Executive Director and the Secretariat to discuss preparations for the signing ceremony and future cooperation initiatives between Viet Nam and UNODC in crime prevention. The delegation also met with delegations from countries that were active in negotiating the Convention, such as Russia, Algeria, and Saint Kitts & Nevis, to deliver formal invitations from the President of Viet Nam and discuss plans for organizing joint events in Hanoi this October.

During their visit to the UN Office in Vienna, Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang and the delegation also met with Mr. Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Both sides discussed the state of cooperation between Viet Nam and the IAEA in the field of nuclear energy and proposed support for Viet Nam in building a legal framework, policy consultation, technology transfer, knowledge sharing, and training to strengthen national capacity in nuclear research, development, and applications, particularly in successfully implementing Viet Nam’s first nuclear power plant project, while ensuring the highest standards of nuclear safety and security.

The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) is a key regular UN forum responsible for developing international norms, standards, policies, and cooperative frameworks on crime prevention and criminal justice. It also serves as the governing body of UNODC and as the preparatory body for the UN Crime Congress.

Previously, Viet Nam and UNODC co-organized a series of events around the world to introduce and promote the Hanoi Convention and its Signing Ceremony, held alongside the regional preparatory meetings for the Crime Congress in Bangkok (Thailand), San Jose (Costa Rica), Vienna (Austria), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), and Marrakech (Morocco).