With the participation of over 1,000 delegates from UN member states, this session is the final meeting before the 15th United Nations Crime Congress, scheduled to take place in the UAE in 2026. The session focused on reviewing reports from the regional preparatory meetings held in 2025, finalising and adopting preparatory documents for the Crime Congress, and paving the way for negotiations on the draft Abu Dhabi Declaration.
A highlight of this year’s meeting was the international community’s strong interest in the UN’s recent adoption of the Convention against Cybercrime (the "Ha Noi Convention")—the first UN legal instrument on crime prevention in over 20 years. The Convention sets a new international legal framework to promote global cooperation in combating cybercrime.
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| Members of the Vietnamese delegation attend the CCPCJ34 in Vienna, Austria. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) |
Speaking at the opening session, Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang informed the conference of the Vietnamese Government’s efforts to improve its criminal justice legal framework and enhance international cooperation in crime prevention. She highlighted Viet Nam’s initiative to host the signing ceremony of the Ha Noi Convention as a testament to its commitment to being an active member of the international community.
The Deputy Minister officially announced that the signing ceremony will take place in Ha Noi on October 25–26, and is expected to be co-chaired by Vietnamese President Luong Cuong and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Through high-level diplomatic channels, Viet Nam delivers formal invitations from the President to all Heads of State of UN member countries to attend the signing ceremony in Ha Noi.
Further details about the event were presented at the seminar titled "The Road to Ha Noi: Signing Ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime", held at 3:00 PM on May 19, 2025. The seminar attracted over 200 participants, both online and in person.
The seminar reflected close coordination between the Government of Viet Nam and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), particularly with Executive Director Ghada Waly, to ensure the scale, significance, and historical importance of the event in Ha Noi.
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| The seminar is co-chaired by Viet Nam and the UNODC. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) |
In her remarks, Deputy Minister Hang emphasised that the Convention demonstrates the international community’s commitment to multilateralism. It establishes a legal framework for global cooperation to effectively address cybercrime, which poses serious threats to socio-economic development.
She stressed that the signing ceremony is not merely a formal event but a symbolic call for stronger international cooperation in fighting cybercrime. She urged countries to participate in the event, sign, and promptly ratify the Convention to bring it into force and enhance global collaboration in this domain.
Opening the seminar, UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly reaffirmed support for Viet Nam’s organisation of the signing ceremony. She expressed confidence that it would be a successful event and serve as a milestone in celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN on October 24. Representatives from regions such as Africa (Algeria) and Asia (Japan) also underscored the importance of the Convention and voiced support for Viet Nam as host.
Regarding preparations for the signing ceremony, Viet Nam and the UNODC are working together to finalise the official programme, side events, and related seminars.
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| Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang receives IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) |
On the sidelines of the session, the Vietnamese delegation held a private meeting with the Executive Director of the UNODC to discuss preparations and explore initiatives to strengthen cooperation between Viet Nam and the UNODC in crime prevention. The delegation also met with representatives from several countries that played active roles in negotiating the Convention, such as Russia, Algeria, Thailand, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, to deliver the President’s invitation letters and discuss plans to co-host events in Ha Noi this October.
While in Vienna, Deputy Minister Hang also held a working session with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. The two sides discussed cooperation between Viet Nam and the IAEA in nuclear energy and potential support for Viet Nam in building a legal framework, policy consulting, technology transfer, experience sharing, and human resource training to enhance Viet Nam’s capabilities in nuclear research, development, and application. This includes plans for Viet Nam’s first nuclear power plant project, focusing on achieving the highest nuclear safety and security standards.
Deputy Minister Hang invited Director General Grossi to revisit Viet Nam in the near future. Grossi gladly accepted the invitation and expressed support for Viet Nam’s nuclear power development plans and the potential for greater private sector collaboration with the IAEA.
