UN Cybercrime Convention Draft Approved

In August 2024, the United Nations approved the draft of its first Cybercrime Convention, a significant step in international cybercrime legislation, despite strong opposition from various stakeholders.

Key Points

Draft Approval: The UN Cybercrime Convention draft, a 41-page document developed over three years, was unanimously approved by UN members on 9^th August.
It aims to enhance international cooperation and technical assistance in combating cybercrime.
Treaty Provisions: The draft treaty includes measures against illegal interception, money laundering, hacking, and online child sexual abuse.
It mandates member states to criminalize specific cybercrimes and improve legal frameworks for handling cyber offenses.
Legislative Requirements: Countries must implement laws to criminalize unauthorized data interception, damage to data, and the use of devices designed for cybercrime.
The treaty also requires prohibiting the sale or purchase of hacking tools and unauthorized access credentials.
Child Protection: The treaty defines and criminalizes the distribution and viewing of child sexual abuse material.
It also mandates criminalization of online arrangements to commit sexual offenses against children and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images.
Authority Powers: Article 24 outlines powers for law enforcement, including data preservation and traffic data collection.
Article 30 allows authorities to collect content data for serious crimes, while Article 36 addresses the transfer of personal data, adhering to domestic laws.