Oman OM

United Nations

• UN Cybercrime ConventionUnited Nations Convention against Cybercrime; Strengthening International Cooperation for Combating Certain Crimes Committed by Means of Information and Communications Technology Systems and for the Sharing of Evidence in Electronic Form of Serious CrimesSigned – not ratified
  The first global UN treaty on cybercrime. It requires states to criminalise a set of computer-related offences and to provide procedural powers, such as preserving and producing stored data and collecting traffic and content data, and it sets up channels for cross-border e-evidence cooperation on serious crimes. It includes a general human rights clause and conditions and safeguards on these powers.

  Synopsis

  The first global UN treaty on cybercrime. It requires states to criminalise a set of computer-related offences and to provide procedural powers, such as preserving and producing stored data and collecting traffic and content data, and it sets up channels for cross-border e-evidence cooperation on serious crimes. It includes a general human rights clause and conditions and safeguards on these powers.

  Key themes

  • cybercrime offences
  • e-evidence
  • production orders
  • data preservation
  • mutual legal assistance
  • human rights safeguards

  Unique features

  It is broader than the Budapest Convention in that evidence sharing covers any 'serious crime'. Rights groups and industry have criticised its safeguards as weak.

  SaaS relevance

  Once in force and implemented, it could widen the range of states able to issue preservation and production orders to cloud and SaaS providers.

  Extraterritorial

  Limited

  Breach notification

  None

  DPO

  No

  Cross-border transfers

  Cooperation channels for electronic evidence

  Maximum penalty

  Set by national law

  Key dates

  • Adopted 24 December 2024
  • Adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2024; opened for signature in Hanoi on 2025-10-25; enters into force 90 days after the 40th ratification. About 3 ratifications (Qatar, Azerbaijan, Viet Nam) as of mid-2026.

  Text

  • Authoritative text unodc.org

  Authority

  UNODC (secretariat); Conference of the States Parties once in force

  Sources consulted

  • en.wikipedia.org
  • unodc.org

  Verification

  Medium confidence.

  Partly verified

  Medium confidence. The ratification count comes from secondary sources as of mid-2026. The convention is not in force (it needs 40 ratifications). The exact GA adoption date (24 Dec 2024, A/RES/79/243) comes from established references and I did not re-verify it.

  Record

  Full record for UN Cybercrime Convention

  Partly verified

  Medium confidence. The ratification count comes from secondary sources as of mid-2026. The convention is not in force (it needs 40 ratifications). The exact GA adoption date (24 Dec 2024, A/RES/79/243) comes from established references and I did not re-verify it.
• Right to privacy in the digital ageUN General Assembly resolutions on the right to privacy in the digital age (series)In force
  In force from 18 December 2013This is a recurring series of non-binding General Assembly resolutions. They confirm that people have the same privacy rights online as offline, and they ask states to review surveillance, interception and bulk data collection against international human rights law. Later resolutions also cover AI, biometrics, encryption and data brokers.

  Synopsis

  This is a recurring series of non-binding General Assembly resolutions. They confirm that people have the same privacy rights online as offline, and they ask states to review surveillance, interception and bulk data collection against international human rights law. Later resolutions also cover AI, biometrics, encryption and data brokers.

  Key themes

  • surveillance
  • interception
  • AI and privacy
  • encryption
  • business responsibility
  • remedies

  Unique features

  The series grew out of the 2013 Snowden revelations. It led to OHCHR reports and, through the Human Rights Council, to the Special Rapporteur on privacy.

  SaaS relevance

  These are soft-law expectations on business respect for privacy (UN Guiding Principles), which are relevant to transparency reporting and to how a provider handles government data requests.

  Breach notification

  None

  DPO

  No

  Cross-border transfers

  None

  Maximum penalty

  None

  Key dates

  • Adopted 18 December 2013
  • In force 18 December 2013
  • First resolution A/RES/68/167 (2013-12-18); renewed roughly every two years; latest verified A/RES/79/175 adopted 2024-12-17

  Text

  • Authoritative text documents.un.org

  Authority

  Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reports; UN Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy

  Sources consulted

  • documents.un.org
  • digitallibrary.un.org

  Verification

  Medium confidence.

  Partly verified

  Medium confidence. Treated as one row for the whole series. I did not check whether a newer resolution was adopted at the 80th session in late 2025.

  Record

  Full record for Right to privacy in the digital age

  Partly verified

  Medium confidence. Treated as one row for the whole series. I did not check whether a newer resolution was adopted at the 80th session in late 2025.
• ICCPR Art 17International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 17In force
  In force from 23 March 1976This is a binding treaty. Article 17 bans arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy, family, home or correspondence, and requires states parties to protect people from such interference by law. The Human Rights Committee monitors compliance through state reports and, for states that accept it, individual complaints.

  Synopsis

  This is a binding treaty. Article 17 bans arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy, family, home or correspondence, and requires states parties to protect people from such interference by law. The Human Rights Committee monitors compliance through state reports and, for states that accept it, individual complaints.

  Key themes

  • right to privacy
  • state obligations
  • legality
  • arbitrariness
  • individual communications

  Unique features

  It is the main binding global privacy guarantee and has about 170+ parties. General Comment 16 reads it as covering the gathering and holding of personal information, including by private bodies.

  SaaS relevance

  It binds states, not companies, but it shapes national privacy laws and the rules on government access to the data SaaS providers hold.

  Breach notification

  None

  DPO

  No

  Cross-border transfers

  None

  Maximum penalty

  None (treaty-body views; no fines)

  Key dates

  • Adopted 16 December 1966
  • In force 23 March 1976
  • Adopted by GA resolution 2200A (XXI) on 1966-12-16; in force 1976-03-23. Human Rights Committee General Comment No. 16 on Article 17 was issued in 1988.

  Text

  • Authoritative text ohchr.org

  Authority

  UN Human Rights Committee (treaty body)

  Sources consulted

  • ohchr.org
  • ohchr.org

  Verification

  High confidence.

  The party count is approximate and was not re-checked against the UN Treaty Collection.

  Record

  Full record for ICCPR Art 17

• UDHR Art 12Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 12In force
  In force from 10 December 1948Article 12 says no one may be subjected to arbitrary interference with their privacy, family, home or correspondence, and that everyone is entitled to legal protection against such interference. It is a declaration rather than a treaty, but it is the starting point for privacy as an international human right.

  Synopsis

  Article 12 says no one may be subjected to arbitrary interference with their privacy, family, home or correspondence, and that everyone is entitled to legal protection against such interference. It is a declaration rather than a treaty, but it is the starting point for privacy as an international human right.

  Key themes

  • right to privacy
  • correspondence
  • reputation
  • protection of the law

  Unique features

  Not legally binding in itself, though many of its provisions are treated as customary international law. Every later privacy instrument, from the ECHR to the ICCPR, builds on this text.

  SaaS relevance

  Gives no direct obligations to a SaaS business; it is useful as the human rights background for policies and DPIAs.

  Breach notification

  None

  DPO

  No

  Cross-border transfers

  None

  Maximum penalty

  None

  Key dates

  • Adopted 10 December 1948
  • In force 10 December 1948
  • Proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948

  Text

  • Authoritative text un.org

  Authority

  None designated

  Sources consulted

  • un.org
  • ohchr.org

  Verification

  High confidence.

  The CIPP/E project holds a copy (1948UDHR.pdf).

  Record

  Full record for UDHR Art 12

• UN Guidelines 1990Guidelines for the Regulation of Computerized Personal Data FilesIn force
  In force from 14 December 1990Non-binding guidelines from the General Assembly that set minimum guarantees for national laws on computerised personal data files, covering both public and private files. They list principles such as lawfulness and fairness, accuracy, purpose specification, interested-person access, non-discrimination, security and independent supervision.

  Synopsis

  Non-binding guidelines from the General Assembly that set minimum guarantees for national laws on computerised personal data files, covering both public and private files. They list principles such as lawfulness and fairness, accuracy, purpose specification, interested-person access, non-discrimination, security and independent supervision.

  Key themes

  • fair information principles
  • sensitive data
  • access
  • security
  • supervisory authority
  • transborder flows

  Unique features

  Separate provisions extend the principles to files held by international governmental organisations. They also have an early non-discrimination rule on sensitive data and allow transfers to countries with comparable safeguards.

  SaaS relevance

  Gives no direct obligations; it is historical background to UN-system data protection policies.

  Breach notification

  None

  DPO

  No

  Cross-border transfers

  Free flow to states with comparable safeguards

  Maximum penalty

  None

  Key dates

  • Adopted 14 December 1990
  • In force 14 December 1990

  Text

  • Authoritative text refworld.org

  Authority

  None designated

  Sources consulted

  • refworld.org
  • digitallibrary.un.org

  Verification

  Medium confidence.

  Partly verified

  Medium confidence. I did not open the resolution text in this session. The resolution number and date come from established references. Refworld is a UNHCR mirror; the official text is in the UN Digital Library under A/RES/45/95.

  Record

  Full record for UN Guidelines 1990

  Partly verified

  Medium confidence. I did not open the resolution text in this session. The resolution number and date come from established references. Refworld is a UNHCR mirror; the official text is in the UN Digital Library under A/RES/45/95.