After three years of work, the committee established by the UN General Assembly to negotiate the convention agreed on a draft text on Thursday.

The draft convention is expected to be adopted by the General Assembly later this year, thus becoming the first global legally binding instrument on cybercrime.

“The finalisation of this convention is a landmark step as the first multilateral anti-crime treaty in over 20 years and the first UN Convention against Cybercrime at a time when threats in cyberspace are growing rapidly,” said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly.

Safeguarding digital spaces

The achievement represents the culmination of a five-year effort by Member States, with the input of civil society, academic institutions and the private sector.

UNODC served as the substantive secretariat for the negotiations.

“We will continue to play a central role in assisting in the implementation and ratification of the convention, once adopted by the General Assembly, as well as providing technical assistance to Member States as we work with all countries and partners to safeguard digital spaces,” Waly said.

According to the draft convention, technology has created opportunities for a greater scale, speed and scope of crimes, from terrorism to drug trafficking to trafficking in persons, migrant smuggling, firearms trafficking and more.

It provides tools that will enhance international cooperation, law enforcement efforts, technical assistance and capacity building relating to cybercrime.