President Ilham Aliyev approves UN Convention against Cybercrime

The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan has approved the United Nations (UN) Convention against Cybercrime, AzerNEWS reports.

This is reflected in the law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the approval of the “Strengthening international cooperation in combating certain crimes committed using information and communication technology systems and in the electronic exchange of evidence relating to serious crimes – United Nations Convention against Cybercrime” signed by the President Ilham Aliyev.

According to the law, the convention signed in Hanoi on October 25, 2025, must be ratified with the relevant declarations and reservations of Azerbaijan.

The UN has identified the fight against cybercrime as one of the priority areas requiring international cooperation against the cross-border criminal threats arising from the development of information and communication technologies. In order to strengthen legal cooperation between states in this direction, the convention was opened for signature in Hanoi on October 25 last year.

The convention focuses on strengthening cooperation between states in combating crimes committed using information and communication technology systems, as well as forming a single legal framework for the electronic collection, exchange, and preservation of evidence relating to serious crimes. The convention envisages the fight against cybercrime not only at the national level, but also through international legal assistance, extradition, and operational interaction mechanisms.

The main principles of the convention are the uniform definition of concepts used in the field of cybercrime, the prevention of loss, alteration, or destruction of evidence in the electronic environment, as well as ensuring the effectiveness of investigation and prosecution processes. The document places special emphasis on direct and operational cooperation between the competent authorities of the states, the simplification of mutual legal assistance mechanisms, and the establishment of continuously operating communication mechanisms.

In accordance with the final provisions of the convention, the document is open for signature, ratification, acceptance, or approval by the states and enters into force after the completion of the relevant internal procedures. At the same time, the convention provides for the possibility for the participating states to make declarations and reservations on certain of its provisions.

The Republic of Azerbaijan made a number of important statements and reservations upon ratification of the Convention. These statements concern the recognition of the Convention as the legal basis for extradition and mutual legal assistance, the designation of competent central authorities for these processes, and positions on the language of requests and mechanisms for operational cooperation. The reservations clarify the conditions for criminal liability for certain crimes covered by the Convention, the criteria for significant damage, and the scope of application, taking into account the specific features of the national legal system.

Thus, the convention and the declarations and reservations of Azerbaijan to it form the legal basis for international cooperation in the field of combating cybercrime, and amendments are envisaged to be made to the relevant normative legal acts to ensure the application of the substantive and procedural norms arising from the convention in the national legal system. These amendments are aimed at implementing the provisions of the convention, as well as the declarations and reservations submitted by Azerbaijan, in national legislation.