The United Nations adopts the first treaty to combat cybercrime

The United Nations adopts the first treaty to combat cybercrime

 On Thursday, United Nations member states adopted a treaty to combat cybercrime, the first text of its kind approved by the organization, despite strong opposition from human rights activists who warned of potential risks related to censorship.

After three years of negotiations and a final two-week session in New York, members unanimously approved the UN Convention against Cybercrime, and it is now scheduled to be presented to the General Assembly for formal adoption.

Algerian diplomat Fawzia Boumaiza Mbarki, head of the treaty drafting committee, said amid applause, "I consider the documents (...) approved. Thank you very much, congratulations to everyone." The committee was established following an initial initiative presented by Russia in 2017, and despite American and European opposition.

The new treaty will enter into force once it has been ratified by 40 member states, and aims to “prevent and combat cybercrime more efficiently and effectively”, in particular in relation to images of child sexual abuse and money laundering.

But its critics - an unconventional coalition of human rights activists and big tech companies - denounce its breadth, arguing that it could amount to a global “censorship” treaty and be used for repression.

The approved text stipulates that any Member State may, when investigating any crime punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than four years under national law, request from the authorities of another State any electronic evidence linked to the crime, as well as request data from Internet service providers.