UN Committee adopts convention on cybercrime

Kathmandu- The United Nations (UN) Ad Hoc Committee finally adopted the convention on cybercrime. The recent meeting of the UN Ad Hoc Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes adopted the convention, which would be presented before the UN General Assembly later this year.

The UN member states at the Ad Hoc Committee brought the first global instrument on cybercrime after three years of debates. But the human rights experts and civil society organizations across the globe have showed concern over the convention. The updated draft text of the convention stressed the need for enhancing coordination and cooperation among States along with technical assistance and capacity-building, and transfer of technology on mutually agreed terms.

It also underscored improvement of national laws and frameworks to make national authorities resourceful so that cybercrimes would be dealt effectively in all its forms. It has further necessitated cooperation among the states to prevent and fight one of the pressing problems of time, cybercrime, where the national, regional and international organizations, civil society, academia and private entities could play their roles.

Addressing the Ad Hoc Committee meeting, Nepali diplomat at Nepal’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, Shivani Basnet, viewed, “We firmly believe this convention not only amplifies the voice of all nations but also reinforces the principle of multilateralism as we come together to tackle shared challenges of cyber crime.”

She laid emphasis on the need of technical assistance and capacity building of Nepal to bridge the cooperation gap and enhance readiness to combat cybercrime. Basnet reminded that like other countries irrespective of affluence and less privilege. Nepal is at risk of cyber crime. “Nepal also deeply appreciates robust safeguard and emphasis on human rights in the convention,” she reminded.

About the development, the Geneva Internet Platform mentioned, “The Committee Chair emphasized that the convention is a criminal justice legal instrument and the aim is, therefore, to combat cybercrime by prohibiting certain behaviours by physical persons, rather than to regulate the behaviour of member states.”

The global organizations working in the sector of technological freedoms and human rights had put forth their suggestions and amendments to the document. They showed concern whether convention would foment State surveillance while coping with cyber crimes. Even a CSO from Nepal, Freedom Forum, had joined the global alliance of civil society organizations seeking guarantee of human rights in the convention.