Indonesia has taken another step towards stronger international cooperation on cybercrime by signing the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime. The move makes it the 91st signatory to the first multilateral treaty focused on preventing and combating cybercrime.
Foreign Minister Sugiono signed the convention on Thursday on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States.
Adopted by the UNGA in December 2024, the convention establishes a global framework for preventing and combating cybercrime. It also supports cooperation in investigating cross-border offences and sharing electronic evidence.
The treaty covers crimes including online scams, online gambling and child pornography. These issues have become growing concerns in Indonesia as internet use and digital services continue to expand.
“For Indonesia, the convention is important in strengthening efforts to prevent and criminalize cybercrime at the national level,” the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
The ministry said the convention would also provide a basis for Indonesian law enforcement agencies to strengthen international cooperation in tackling cybercrime.
Indonesia was involved in the treaty negotiations through its representatives in Vienna. Its officials served as negotiators and rapporteurs after the UN ad hoc committee for the convention was established in 2019.
The Indonesian government will now prepare the ratification process and take other required steps to bring the convention into the country’s national legal framework.
Cybercrime has remained a growing concern in Indonesia in recent years. Many Indonesians have been drawn into online scam operations in Southeast Asian countries including Myanmar and Cambodia. Some were recruited through social media and informal job brokers with promises of high-paying jobs, only to be forced to work for online scam syndicates. Others knowingly took part in cross-border criminal activities.
Earlier this year, the National Police warned that Indonesia could become a new operational hub for transnational online gambling and cyber scam syndicates. Investigators uncovered several cybercrime centres during raids across the country.
In May, then-Interpol Indonesia secretary Brig. Gen. Untung Widyatmoko called for stronger transnational coordination to address growing cybercrime hubs, including those identified in the Philippines and Timor-Leste.
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