A global treaty for a digital age: Why the world needs united cyber defences

The current wave of technological advancement has created extraordinary opportunities for development, human well-being, innovation, and creativity — yet it has also brought significant safety challenges. The rise of transnational cybercrime has made it possible for organised criminal groups to threaten cyberspace and victimise individuals and institutions worldwide. This reality underscores the urgent need to build sustainable national capacities for combating cybercrime, coupled with a dynamic international response to prevent the exploitation of the vulnerable and the draining of national economies.

After five years of negotiations among UN Member States and around 160 entities — including technology companies, civil society organisations, and academic experts — the United Nations Convention on Countering Cybercrime was adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2024. It represents the first UN convention to promote international cooperation, protect human rights, and facilitate the exchange of digital evidence to prosecute cybercriminals who exploit the flexibility of the digital world and disparities among national legislations to evade justice. The Convention recognises the serious risks arising from the misuse of technology, acknowledges the growing impact of cybercrimes on victims, and prioritises justice — especially for vulnerable groups.

Criminal networks

Criminal networks worldwide have been increasingly exploiting digital tools, causing massive losses to states, corporations, and societies. Leveraging modern technologies, cybercriminals can launch attacks from anywhere in the world, exploiting vulnerabilities swiftly and widely. The rapid evolution of technology creates complex challenges for law enforcement agencies, compounded by the absence of effective international cooperation mechanisms and the inability of many national legislations to keep pace with the changing nature of cybercrime.

Cybercriminals use digital tools to steal money, data, and sensitive information, and also to commit traditional crimes such as money laundering and fraud. Transnational organised crime extends to the sexual exploitation of women and children via social media platforms, the disruption of public services through cyberattacks, and the illegal trade of narcotics and other contraband in digital black markets.

Sophisticated technologies

These groups employ sophisticated technologies to evade accountability and maximise profits.

The cyber threat does not spare any nation. In the United States, for example, an FBI report revealed that losses from cybercrime rose by 33% between 2023 and 2024, surpassing $16 billion. In Europe, according to the EU agency Eurojust, cybercrime cases increased by 25% during the same period. Challenges are even greater for developing nations, where preparedness to counter cyber risks remains insufficient—losses that now cost the global economy trillions of dollars annually.

The UN Cybercrime Convention defines crimes based on acts and outcomes, ensuring flexibility and effectiveness as technologies and crime patterns evolve. Since cybercrime is ever-changing, collective resilience and cooperation are essential. The Convention provides a framework for training, capacity-building, and resource allocation to strengthen global responses to cyber threats.

Obstacles persist

Despite the importance of international cooperation, several obstacles persist due to differences in national legal systems, uneven capacity to adapt to the fast evolution of cybercrime and cyberterrorism, and cultural and legal variations in defining such crimes. However, as countries criminalise cyber offenses, enhance security and judicial cooperation, and align their laws with the UN Convention’s provisions, international collaboration can advance to new levels that significantly reduce cybercrime.

The Convention aims to harmonise national legislations, improve forensic investigation techniques for cyber offences, and establish standardised legal terminology to facilitate judicial cooperation. It serves as a global platform for collaboration in exchanging electronic evidence, protecting victims, and strengthening prevention — all while ensuring respect for human rights online.

UN Convention on Countering Cybercrime

In October 2025, about 65 countries signed the UN Convention on Countering Cybercrime in Hanoi, Vietnam. The agreement encompasses definitions of cybercrimes, jurisdiction, procedural measures, international cooperation, preventive and technical assistance mechanisms, and information exchange processes.

It will enter into force 90 days after signature, becoming the first legally binding international instrument for enhancing global defences against cybercrime — criminalising phishing, ransomware attacks, and even the dissemination of hate speech.

The Convention is now a binding global document against cybercrime, establishing a worldwide framework for collecting, exchanging, and using electronic evidence related to cyber offenses, including online fraud, child sexual exploitation, and solicitation. It also criminalises the non-consensual sharing of intimate images and establishes the first global cyber cooperation network to allow nations to jointly combat rapidly evolving cybercrimes.

Unified definitions of cybercrimes

This step is vital in light of the escalating global cyber threats and the severe financial, security, and informational damages caused by cyberattacks and digital fraud in recent years. The Convention sets unified definitions of cybercrimes, precise investigation standards, and practical mechanisms for victim support, including compensation and removal of illegal content, in coordination with national laws.

Nevertheless, some technology companies and human rights advocates have expressed concerns about privacy, ethical hacking practices, and the potential overreach of surveillance measures. Critics argue that the Convention could function more as a “monitoring treaty” than a crime-prevention instrument or that its definitions of cybercrime remain ambiguous, possibly impacting freedom of expression. However, in essence, the Convention represents a new stage of international cooperation and a manifestation of the collective will of nations to safeguard global digital safety through a robust international legal framework.

Ultimately, the transnational nature of cybercrime makes judicial coordination an absolute necessity.

Digital safety and cybersecurity are shared responsibilities that no state can uphold alone. Only through an international framework of cooperation and development can the global community effectively mitigate the negative consequences of technological progress — without hindering innovation and creativity. Promoting a culture of digital safety through awareness and education across all segments of society is essential to ensuring a secure and resilient digital future for all.

Elyazia Jasim AlHosani is Head of the Media Communications Department at TRENDS Research & Advisory