Vietnamese Ambassador to Austria Vũ Lê Thái Hoàng, who is also Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN and other international organisations in Vienna, presented a Vietnamese traditional painting as gift to outgoing Ghada Waly, outgoing Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). — VNA/VNS Photo

VIENNA — Ghada Waly, outgoing Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has praised Việt Nam's proactive and constructive participation in negotiation and preparations for the signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime recently held in Hà Nội.

In a farewell meeting in Vienna on November 14 with Vietnamese Ambassador to Austria Vũ Lê Thái Hoàng, who is also Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN and other international organisations in Vienna, Waly conveyed her thanks to Việt Nam's senior leaders, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other relevant agencies for their efforts in warmly hosting the UN Secretary-General, as well as over 2,500 international delegates from all continents.

With 72 countries signing the Convention over October 25–26 and many preparing to join, Việt Nam hosted a historic UN signing ceremony, opening new opportunities to promote global cooperation in the fight against cybercrime, she said.

The UN official affirmed that the signing ceremony marks a positive start to the process ahead, with UNODC continuing to support Việt Nam in implementing the Convention, particularly in capacity building, technical assistance, and connecting with international partners.

For his part, Hoàng expressed his gratitude to UNODC and Waly for their contributions to the close and positive cooperation between Việt Nam and UNODC, describing it as a model of effective collaboration between a UN organisation and a member state.

The signing ceremony marked a historic milestone in the international community’s efforts to establish a global legal framework to address the growing complexities of cybercrime, he said, stressing that Việt Nam highly values UNODC’s coordination and technical support throughout the preparations for the signing ceremony, particularly Waly’s practical contributions as the head of UNODC.

The success of the signing ceremony also creates opportunities for Việt Nam to play a stronger role in multilateral processes moving forward, particularly in the ratification of the Convention and in negotiating instruments for its effective implementation, the diplomat added.

The two sides discussed cooperation orientations to build on the success of the signing ceremony, including plans to organise a series of events to promote the Convention and encourage countries to sign and ratify it quickly, ensuring its early entry into force.

Hoàng said the Vietnamese Embassy in Austria is planning the 2nd Việt Nam–Austria technology forum in Vienna, focusing on cybersecurity cooperation, expressing the hope to  work with UNODC to ensure the event’s success.

The Vietnamese diplomat wished Waly, who also served as Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna, success in her new role, and expressed confidence that the cooperation between Việt Namand UNODC will continue to strengthen, significantly contributing to the UN’s efforts for peace, security, and sustainable development around the world. — VNA/VNS