加拿大政府于七月中旬宣布签署《联合国网络犯罪公约》[1]。这一决定扭转了该国此前的立场——加拿大曾在九个月前缺席去年十月在河内举办的正式签署仪式[1]。
该条约作为一项跨境监控和电子证据共享协议[1]，已吸引包括俄罗斯、中国、伊朗、朝鲜、白俄罗斯、古巴、委内瑞拉和沙特阿拉伯在内的多个国家签署，同时也获得英国、澳大利亚、法国、德国和欧盟支持[1]。相比之下，美国、新西兰、日本、荷兰、意大利、挪威、丹麦和芬兰等国则选择了拒签[1]。
该公约将"严重犯罪"界定为在国内法下可处以四年或以上监禁的任何罪行[1]。针对加拿大的签署决定，包括国际特赦组织加拿大分会、刑事律师协会、PEN加拿大、公开媒体和公民实验室在内的二十多个加拿大组织和专家曾在2024年12月发出信函敦促政府拒绝签署[1]。这些组织认为，该条约可能被独裁国家用于跨境镇压和扩大监控权力[1]。
Canada's government announced in mid-July its decision to sign the United Nations Cybercrime Convention, a treaty that critics characterize as a cross-border surveillance and electronic evidence-sharing agreement.[1] This move comes after Canada notably abstained from an official signing ceremony held in Hanoi nine months prior.[1]
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from rights advocates and Canadian institutions. More than twenty Canadian organizations and experts—including Amnesty International Canada, the Criminal Lawyers Association, PEN Canada, Open Media, and the Citizen Lab—issued a letter in December 2024 urging the government to reject the treaty, arguing it could be weaponized by authoritarian regimes for transnational repression and surveillance expansion.[1] The convention defines "serious crime" broadly as any offense punishable by four years or more of imprisonment under domestic law.[1]
The treaty's signatory list reflects significant geopolitical divisions. Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Belarus, Cuba, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia have signed alongside democracies including the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, and the European Union.[1] Notably, the United States, New Zealand, Japan, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Denmark, and Finland have declined to sign.[1]