WANA (Oct 27) – Vahid Jalalzadeh, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, emphasized during his visit to Vietnam for the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime that unilateral coercive measures, including sanctions, are serious obstacles to international cooperation in combating cybercrime.

 

In his speech at the event in Hanoi, Jalalzadeh expressed appreciation to the government and people of Vietnam for hosting the historic occasion and noted that the rapid expansion of information and communication technologies has not only created new opportunities for innovation but also enabled the emergence of transnational crimes that threaten national sovereignty, security, and privacy. He stressed that these challenges can only be addressed through genuine multilateral cooperation.

 

Highlighting Iran’s active role in the drafting process, Jalalzadeh described the convention as a significant step toward strengthening multilateralism and collective action against the criminal misuse of digital technologies. He underscored that achieving the convention’s goals—particularly facilitating international judicial and technical cooperation—requires the removal of barriers such as unilateral sanctions, which violate fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter.

 

Vahid Jalalzadeh metting with Vietnam’s Minister of Public Security. Social Media / WANA News Agency

Vahid Jalalzadeh metting with Vietnam’s Minister of Public Security. Social Media / WANA News Agency

The Iranian official further emphasized the importance of technology transfer and capacity-building for developing countries, stating that effective global action against cybercrime depends on ensuring equal access to knowledge and modern tools. He added that including “technology transfer” in the convention represents an important move toward bridging the global digital divide.

 

Jalalzadeh also drew attention to the growing concern over the sexual exploitation and abuse of children in cyberspace, calling for a “zero-tolerance” policy toward such crimes. He warned against any artificial distinction between “real” and “virtual” depictions, such as animations or AI-generated content, stressing that all forms of child sexual exploitation must be prohibited without exception.

 

The signing ceremony, attended by senior officials from around the world, brought together representatives from over 72 countries to sign the new convention—an agreement developed over five years of international negotiations to establish a common framework for fighting cybercrime.

 

On the sidelines of the event, Jalalzadeh also met with the Justice Minister of Cuba and the Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia to discuss expanding bilateral and consular cooperation. Earlier, he had met with Vietnam’s Minister of Public Security to review the growing relations between Tehran and Hanoi and address issues concerning Iranian nationals residing in Vietnam.