UN Secretary General called for legal protection of people in cyberspace
Millions of people fall victim to cybercrime every day. During the pandemic, when people increasingly use the Internet to make purchases or pay for utilities, theft of personal or credit card information has become much more frequent. This is one of the themes on the 14th session agenda of the UN Congress on Crime Prevention.
Addressing its participants, UN Secretary General António Guterres called for stopping the crimes committed on the World Wide Web. “Criminals use new technologies to carry out their illegal activities, including in the virtual space. The lack of legal regulation in cyberspace has resulted in an increase in the scale of criminal acts committed there”, Antonio Guterres said.
He added that lawmakers have to take into account new realities and establish mechanisms for legal protection of people on the Internet, both from fraud and theft, and from disinformation and insults, the UN press service reported.
The United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention started in Kyoto on Sunday. Such congresses are held every five years. The 14th session was supposed to take place in 2020. However, it was postponed due to the pandemic.
The delegates to the current meeting adopted the Kyoto Declaration, which refers to specific measures to prevent crime and strengthen international cooperation in this area. The UN Secretary General welcomed their readiness to discuss the state of justice in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals and the topic of growing inequality in the world.
He stressed that inequality must be tackled in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. “High level of inequality is associated with economic instability, corruption, financial crises, increasing crime and poor physical and mental health.
“Crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law have a key role to play in renewing the social contract between states and their populations”, the UN Secretary General said.
Noting that the COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis it caused have led to an increase in crime around the world, the UN Secretary General called for stopping the attempts of criminals to profit from human grief.
“Today, the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 crisis provide criminals with new opportunities to exploit marginalized and at-risk people”, Guterres said. He stressed that respect for the rule of law contributes to sustainable social, political and economic development.
“People need an inclusive, non-discriminatory justice system that must act in the best interests of all people”, the Secretary General said. Restoring trust in government institutions and strengthening the rule of law and access to justice are essential to prevent corruption, curb illicit financial flows and protect vulnerable people from organized crime, violence, human trafficking, online exploitation and radicalization, he added.
The UN Secretary General urged the Congress delegates to take this opportunity to revitalize international cooperation and pave the way for peace, justice and mutual understanding.
The United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention is the world’s largest forum for representatives of governments, civil society, academic community and criminal justice experts. These meetings contribute to strengthening international cooperation in the fight against the global threat of transnational organized crime.
The current forum in Kyoto also discusses combating corruption in sports and countering the illegal wildlife trade.
