On 9 November 2023, Patrick Penninckx, Head of the Information Society Department of the Council of Europe, took part in a panel dedicated to Convention 108+ within the framework of the 5th edition of the Privacy Symposium Africa. The panel also gathered Ms Awa N’Diaye, head of the Personal Data Protection Commission of Senegal and 2nd vice-Chair of the Convention 108 Committee, and Ms Drudeisha Madhub, Data Protection Commissioner of Mauritius, and member of the Convention 108 Committee in respect of Mauritius. The panel was the occasion to present the only world international legally binding instrument protecting personal data and the right to privacy, as a unique tool of convergence and regulatory harmonisation, gathering 55 State Parties and some 40 observers from all over the world and for more than 40 years. The panel presented the concrete experience, achievements and outcomes at the national levels of two State Parties, that is Senegal and Mauritius on the implementation of the Convention. It was also the occasion to promote the pioneering and visionary role of the Council of Europe in the digital sphere for almost half a century now, and to open up on the current and future digital challenges and risks for individuals’ privacy, autonomy and security, stressing the need to adjust our instruments and tools to the reality of an interconnected digital world.

The Privacy Symposium Africa (PSA) created in 2019 brings together privacy experts, policymakers, business leaders, and individuals from across the continent to discuss the latest developments and challenges in the field of privacy and data protection. The fifth edition was organised by Unwanted Witness and hosted by the Data Protection Office of Mauritius, from 7 to 9 November in Port Louis.