Vietnam and UNIDIR collaborate to enhance cyber capacity
WVR - On the morning of September 8, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security, in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), organized the Vietnam – UNIDIR Cyber Policy and Capacity Building Training Course for ministries, sectors, and enterprises operating in the information technology field.
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This is an intensive three-day training course developed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, and UNIDIR to enhance awareness, policy-making capacity, and cyber handling for Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and enterprises in the face of current cybersecurity challenges.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Chu Tuan Duc, Deputy Director General of the Department of Legal and International Treaties, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that cyberspace has become a strategically significant area for Vietnam's socio-economic development, national defense, security, and international integration, while cyber threats are increasingly growing in scale and complexity. Ensuring cybersecurity is not just a technical issue but a requirement for national governance, policy-making, and international cooperation.
Vietnam's policy is to support United Nations frameworks that regulate responsible state behavior in cyberspace and seeks continued collaboration with UNIDIR to enhance cybersecurity capacity for Vietnamese agencies, organizations, and enterprises during the 2026-2028 cooperation phase.
On behalf of the sponsoring governments, Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Jim Nickel stressed that in an increasingly interconnected world, cyber threats such as ransomware, online fraud, and attacks on critical infrastructure are becoming more sophisticated and transcend national borders. No country can tackle these alone; trusted partnerships, information sharing, capacity building, and a shared commitment to responsible behavior in cyberspace are essential.
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| Delegates and participants take a group photo. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
Through the Indo-Pacific strategy, Canada has increased support for enhancing cybersecurity capacity and promoting international cooperation to address emerging digital technology challenges, affirming its desire to continue partnering with Vietnam, UNIDIR, and regional partners to build a safe and stable cyberspace.
During the three-day course, the training focused on key topics including: (i) ongoing global cybersecurity threats; (ii) building national incident response capacity; (iii) international frameworks and national roadmaps for cyber resilience. A highlight of the training was a three-phase scenario exercise simulating an escalating ransomware attack on critical infrastructure, helping agencies practice response processes from initial reaction, investigation – accountability to international response coordination.
The training is part of Vietnam's overall effort to strengthen international cooperation in cybersecurity. In October 2025, Vietnam successfully hosted the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention) and became one of the first three countries in the world to ratify this Convention.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security are also closely collaborating with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to prepare for the implementation of the Hanoi Convention, notably by initiating the construction of the Asia-Pacific Regional Cybercrime Centre, aiming to become a hub for training, research, support, and coordination on cybersecurity for countries in the region.
