BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 23. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has signed the law approving the United Nations (UN) Convention against Cybercrime with Azerbaijan’s relevant declarations and reservations, Trend reports.
Under the law, the State Security Service (SSS) will serve as the competent authority responsible for receiving, executing, or forwarding requests for mutual legal assistance related to cybercrimes within the framework of the convention. The SSS will also provide assistance to other participating states in developing and implementing specific measures to prevent cybercrime and will operate a 24/7 contact center.
The Ministry of Justice will be responsible for sending and receiving requests related to extradition or provisional arrest.
The United Nations (UN) identifies combating cybercrime as one of the priority areas requiring international cooperation in response to cross-border criminal threats arising from the development of information and communication technologies. In this regard, the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, formally titled the Convention on Strengthening International Cooperation in Combating Certain Crimes Committed through the Use of Information and Communication Technologies Systems and the Electronic Exchange of Evidence of Serious Crimes, was opened for signature in Hanoi on October 25, 2025.
The main objective of the convention is to strengthen cooperation among states in combating crimes committed through information and communication technology systems and to establish a unified legal framework for the collection, exchange, and protection of electronic evidence related to serious crimes. The document envisages that the fight against cybercrime will be carried out not only at the national level but also through mechanisms of international legal assistance, extradition, and operational interaction mechanisms.
Within the framework of the convention, key principles include the unified definition of terms used in the field of cybercrime, prevention of the loss, alteration, or destruction of electronic evidence, and ensuring the effectiveness of investigation and prosecution processes. The document places special emphasis on direct and operational cooperation between competent authorities, simplification of mutual legal assistance mechanisms, and the establishment of uninterrupted contact channels.