Russia is calling on the UN to target extremism as part of a new convention that cracks down on cybercrime, in the face of opposition from the US and its allies, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
Moscow has been promoting the development of a “comprehensive international convention on countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes” at the UN since 2017.
In 2019, the UN General Assembly approved a Russia-drafted resolution to form a special committee of global experts to counter cybercrime, despite strong opposition from the US and its allies.
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the initiative has grown in importance in the wake of “recent tragic events,” referring to the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall outside Moscow last week. The fight against crime using cyber technologies should finally become a truly international effort, it added.
Dependence on cyberspace has increased immensely in fields ranging from banking transactions, education and science, to transportation and military technologies. Cyber-sabotage attacks on critical information infrastructure pose a threat to millions worldwide, including developing nations which have grown their digital presence significantly, the ministry said.