On May 28, 2024, the third of a series of training on personal data protection for the National Police of Ukraine took place at the Hub of Civic Initiatives of the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.
The CoE Project “Supporting implementation of the European human rights standards in Ukraine” organised the training in collaboration with the Information Rights Department of the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.
The purpose of the training was the formation of knowledge and practical skills regarding the organisation of the process of processing and protection of personal data in the activities of law enforcement agencies, familiarisation with the standards of the Council of Europe and the European Union in the field of personal data protection, the practice of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as with the features of cooperation between Ukraine and European Police Office.
30 employees of the Department of Information and Analytical Support, the Department of Cyber Police, and the Department of the Main Inspection and Compliance with Human Rights of the National Police of Ukraine, whose activities are related to the collection and processing of personal data, documentary support and analytical work, increased their awareness of the issue of ensuring the protection of personal data in the context of national and international regulation, principles and standards of the Council of Europe and the European Union in this area. The participants were introduced to the legal regulations governing the processing and protection of personal data and examined the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) case studies.
Special emphasis was placed on the cross-border transfer of personal data during the training, which was presented by Villar Piip, a Doctor of Philosophy and an expert at the Estonian Center for International Development. The participants discussed the potential for collaboration in the area of personal data protection between Ukraine and Estonia. They also emphasized the importance of enhancing trust in cross-border cooperation.
The experts presented a general overview of the Procedure for Processing Personal Data in the National Police of Ukraine and provided practical advice on its application. The participants also discussed the issue of professional training of the National Police staff in the field of personal data protection and responsibility for violations of legislation. The trainers have developed practical cases for the participants on processing and protecting personal data. These cases are designed for the daily activities of representatives of the National Police of Ukraine. They focus on compliance with the principles of personal data processing and the legal grounds for processing personal data by state authorities. In addition, the trainers shared information and links with the participants about protecting personal data, which they can use in their work.
The trainers are the Council of Europe national consultants, experts in personal data protection, including Markian Bem, a lawyer and expert in personal data protection and practices of the European Court of Human Rights; Ivan Horodyskyi, a lawyer and member of the board of the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine, managing partner of Dexis Partners; and Oleksandr Shevchuk, a lawyer and member of the working group of the project "Law of Ukraine on Personal Data Protection", author of the course "Protection of Personal Data" for civil servants.
Reference information:
The Council of Europe project "Supporting Implementation of the European Human Rights Standards in Ukraine" is aimed at supporting the effective implementation of European human rights standards, combating ill-treatment and rehabilitation of torture victims, strengthening the operational capacity of the Ombudsperson’s Office, as well as supporting the protection of the right to privacy and personal data.
