Human Rights Watch has voiced concerns regarding the potential consequences of the draft global cybercrime treaty currently under negotiation at the United Nations.

The organisation warns that the treaty, if adopted, could inadvertently lead to the erosion of human rights both domestically and internationally, and it has urged UN negotiators to address these issues before proceeding.

The final round of negotiations for the proposed Cybercrime Convention is scheduled to take place from January 29 to February 9, 2024, at the UN headquarters in New York.

Human rights

The joint statement issued by the coalition of human rights groups on January 23, 2024, calls for a more precise focus on cybercrime within the treaty and the inclusion of robust human rights safeguards.

Failure to address these concerns may result in the rejection of the treaty.

Deborah Brown, acting associate technology and human rights director at Human Rights Watch, emphasised the ongoing flaws in the draft convention, citing its potential to undermine human rights and its inadequacy in combating cybercrime effectively. She urged states to prioritize vital human rights protections and a narrower scope for the treaty or consider rejecting it altogether.

The joint statement identifies critical shortcomings in the current draft of the Cybercrime Convention, particularly its potential threat to freedom of expression, privacy, and other human rights.

Raising concern

The draft includes overly broad criminal provisions and lacks adequate human rights safeguards, raising concerns about excessive cross-border information sharing and cooperation requirements that could facilitate intrusive surveillance.

The misuse of cybercrime regulations to target human rights defenders, journalists, security researchers, and LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide has raised alarms about the potential misuse of the treaty for surveillance purposes, which would violate fundamental human rights.

The broad scope of the draft convention also poses a risk to its own objectives by diverting resources away from addressing genuine cybercrime while failing to protect legitimate security research, ultimately undermining online security for everyone.

As negotiations continue, advocates for human rights and privacy are calling on UN member states to ensure that the final Cybercrime Convention is crafted with a clear focus on combating cybercrime while upholding robust human rights protections.

The outcome of these negotiations will have far-reaching implications for both cybersecurity and human rights on a global scale, according to the organisation.