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HANOI: Countries signed their first UN treaty targeting cybercrime in Hanoi on Saturday, despite opposition from an unlikely band of tech companies and rights groups warning of expanded state surveillance.

The new global legal framework aims to strengthen international cooperation to fight digital crimes, from child pornography to transnational cyberscams and money laundering.

More than 60 countries were seen to sign the declaration Saturday, which means it will go into force once ratified by those states.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres described the signing as an “important milestone,” but that it was “only the beginning.”

“Every day, sophisticated scams, destroy families, steal migrants and drain billions of dollars from our economy... We need a strong, connected global response,” he said at the opening ceremony in Vietnam’s capital on Saturday.

The UN Convention against Cybercrime was first proposed by Russian diplomats in 2017, and approved by consensus last year after lengthy negotiations.

Critics say its broad language could lead to abuses of power and enable the cross-border repression of government critics.

“There were multiple concerns raised throughout the negotiation of the treaty around how it actually ends up compelling companies to share data,” said Sabhanaz Rashid Diya, founder of the Tech Global Institute think tank.

“It’s almost rubber-stamping a very problematic practice that has been used against journalists and in authoritarian countries,” she told AFP.

‘WEAK’ SAFEGUARDS

Vietnam’s government said this week that 60 countries were registered for the official signing, without disclosing which ones.

But the list will probably not be limited to Russia, China, and their allies.

“Cybercrime is a real issue across the world,” Diya said. “I think everybody’s kind of grappling with it.”

The far-reaching online scam industry, for example, has ballooned in Southeast Asia in recent years, with thousands of scammers estimated to be involved and victims worldwide conned out of billions of dollars annually.

“Even for the most democratic states, I think they need some degree of access to data that they’re not getting under existing mechanisms,” Diya told AFP.

Democratic countries might describe the UN convention as a “compromise document,” as it contains some human rights provisions, she added.

But these safeguards were slammed as “weak” in a letter signed by more than a dozen rights groups and other organizations.

TECH SECTOR

Big technology companies have also raised concerns.

The Cybersecurity Tech Accord delegation to the treaty talks, representing more than 160 firms including Meta, Dell and India’s Infosys, will not be present in Hanoi, its head Nick Ashton-Hart said.

Among other objections, those companies previously warned that the convention could criminalize cybersecurity researchers and “allows states to cooperate on almost any criminal act they choose.”

Potential overreach by authorities poses “serious risks to corporate IT systems relied upon by billions of people every day,” they said during the negotiation process.

In contrast, an existing international accord, the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, includes guidance on using it in a “rights-respecting” way, Ashton-Hart said.

The location for the signing has also raised eyebrows, given Vietnam’s record of crackdowns on dissent.

“Vietnamese authorities typically use laws to censor and silence any online expression of views critical of the country’s political leadership,” said Deborah Brown of Human Rights Watch.

“Russia has been a driving force behind this treaty and will certainly be pleased once it’s signed,” she told AFP.

“But a significant amount of cybercrime globally comes from Russia, and it has never needed a treaty to tackle cybercrime from within its borders,” Brown added.

“This treaty can’t make up Russia’s lack of political will in that regard.”

ISLAMABAD: As the lunch bell rings, a wave of excitement sweeps across a bustling government-run primary school in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad as students walk out of classrooms under the supervision of their teachers.

For principal Shafia Khan, it has been one of the most rewarding sights of the day to see hundreds of children opening their lunchboxes, filled not just with hot, nutritious food but also with newfound “energy and hope.”

The free meals are distributed as part of the government-backed Islamabad School Meals Program (ISMP), launched in May 2024, to combat malnutrition, improve academic performance and promote attendance among children from marginalized communities.

Over 200 schools benefitting from the program have since reported 99 percent attendance and 88 percent student retention rates, with increase in energy levels among students translating into better academic performance and more active participation in extracurricular activities.

“As we have more than 1200 students in our school, so each and every child gets this opportunity to take this food,” Khan told Arab News at her Islamabad Model School in Islamabad’s I-8 sector.

“Most of the students bring tiffin from their home, they take it to home as well. This food is not only creating a sense of sharing, caring among the students, but it is also very beneficial for their character building.”

The ISMP, which functions under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), initially provided meals to 40 schools, according to Riffat Jabeen, the FDE director of academics and quality assurance.

The program has now been expanded to 210 schools in less than a year and currently, it provides meals to 65,000 primary school students.

Students are served healthy and nutritious meals from a weekly menu that includes chicken ‘biryani,’ chicken ‘haleem,’ chickpea rice, chicken, potato curry and ‘zarda’ (sweet rice).

“Meals are prepared in kitchens by 7am and delivered to classrooms by noon,” Jabeen said. “In addition to hot meals, the program includes health screenings such as BMI (body mass index) tracking and eye exams, reinforcing its holistic approach to student well-being.”

“It’s actually a complete health program,” she added.

NOURISHING BODIES, SHARPENING MINDS

In Pakistan, around 2.14 million children suffer from acute malnutrition, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). Official figures suggest the country has more than 26 million out-of-school children.

The ISMP represents a vital step toward a more equitable education system, according to Jabeen. At just Rs70 ($0.25) per student a day, the program is not just feeding students, it’s fueling a generation with dignity, hope and the promise of lasting change.

“Initially, students [from the marginalized communities] would come to the school, leave the school because of poverty,” Jabeen said.

“Now the meal is being served and the parents who cannot afford two times meal a day, they are very happy with the initiative and they are sending the students to the school every day.”

‘HAPPIER, MORE ACTIVE’ STUDENTS

Teachers say the results have been “striking,” with a visible change in student enthusiasm and discipline.

“Food is a basic necessity for us,” Salmi Noor, a teacher at the Islamabad Model School, told Arab News. “So, when the child gets the energy, they are able to play well and able to concentrate on whatever is being taught.”

Nazia Waseem, a 40-year-old mother from Dhok Kala Khan, drops her son, Jahanzaib, to the government school daily.

“My child often leaves home without breakfast, but thanks to the school meal, he never remains hungry. When he eats at school, I see a difference in his energy returns, and he’s full of life,” she said of her bright-eyed, 5-year-old son who is in kindergarten.

“He’s happier, more active, and looks forward to going to school every single day. As a mother, that brings me so much relief and joy.”