The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a delegation led by the National Cybersecurity Authority and the participation of several national entities and the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom to the UN in New York, took part in the reconvened concluding session of the UN Ad Hoc Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes. The meeting was held from July 29 to August 9, 2024, at the UN headquarters in New York.The committee meeting reached a draft for a UN convention against cybercrime, following five years of collaboration among member states on issues related to the convention. This convention is the first multilateral treaty to combat crime under the UN umbrella in more than 20 years and the first binding international agreement under the UN to combat cybercrime, when cyberspace threats are rapidly increasing.The convention aims to encourage and strengthen measures to prevent and combat cybercrime, enh ance international cooperation, and promote and support building human and technical capacities to combat cybercrime.During the final meeting of the committee, member states agreed to criminalize several actions, including unauthorized access to systems, interference with or manipulation of data, as well as crimes related to sexual exploitation of children. A draft resolution of the UN General Assembly on the adoption of this convention was also reached, which will pave the way for opening the convention for signature at the UN headquarters in New York until December 31, 2026, for all UN member states and regional economic integration organizations.The convention will go into effect on the 90th day after the deposit of the 40th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval, or accession by member states. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime will play a key role in supporting the implementation of the convention, as it will take on the tasks of the Secretariat of the Conference of the States Parties to th e convention, oversee the organization of mechanisms for monitoring implementation, provide technical support to states, and offer the necessary mechanisms for practical international cooperation in this context.During the negotiations on drafting the convention, the Kingdom actively presented several proposals and worked closely with other Arab countries on common issues discussed in the draft convention. This collaborative effort aligns with the Kingdom's commitment to boost Arab cooperation in the field of cybersecurity, making all Arab countries integral parts of this global initiative.The National Cybersecurity Authority is the entity responsible for representing the Kingdom in relevant bilateral, regional, and international organizations, bodies, committees, and groups, and for following up on the Kingdom's international cybersecurity commitments.Source: Saudi Press Agency