UN approves Russian-sponsored, China-backed bid on new cybercrime convention

The resolution was approved on Friday by the general assembly by a vote of 79-60, with 33 abstentions

The US, European powers and rights groups fear that the resolution would legitimise crackdowns on expression

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The resolution will create a committee for a ‘comprehensive international convention on countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes’. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 3:02pm, 28 Dec 2019Updated: 9:56pm, 28 Dec 2019

A move by the United Nations to approve a Russian-sponsored and China-backed resolution that aims to create a new convention on cybercrime has alarmed rights groups and Western powers that fear a bid to restrict online freedom.

The resolution was approved on Friday by the general assembly by a vote of 79-60, with 33 abstentions.

It establishes an expert committee representing all regions of the world “to elaborate a comprehensive international convention on countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes”. The resolution said the committee will meet in August 2020 to agree on an outline of its activities.

The United States, European powers and rights groups fear that the language is code for legitimising crackdowns on expression, with numerous countries defining criticism of the government as “criminal”.

A number of countries have increasingly tried to turn off the internet, with India cutting off access in disputed Kashmir in August after it stripped autonomy to the Muslim-majority region, and Iran taking much of the country offline as it cracked down on protests in November.

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