Sri Lanka to sign UN convention against cybercrime

The Cabinet approval was given this week to sign the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime (UNCC), a significant global accord aimed at combating serious cyber offenses.

This decision followed a joint resolution presented by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as the Digital Economy Minister, Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara and Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath this week.

The UNCC, which was passed at the 55th main session of the UN General Assembly in December 2024, is described as providing a crucial global framework for countries to address and find solutions for a range of critical cybercrimes.

By joining the convention, Sri Lanka is set to greatly enhance its national capabilities in cyber defence, promising several strategic advantages.

These expected benefits include strengthening international cooperation in the fight against cybercrime, improving the capacity to reacquire assets lost due to cyber offenses, ensuring better protection for witnesses and victims and gaining essential technological support and capacity building.

This move signals a major step by the government to align the nation’s digital security and legal framework with international standards, thereby bolstering its resilience against the rising global threat of cybercrime.