“How do we ensure that legal systems across our Continent and beyond are able to protect the personal data of citizens in the digital age? The Council of Europe has developed specific treaties to help governments achieve this. Convention 108 was opened for signature 43 years ago and it has been central to the global effort to protect people’s private information ever since. Even now, it remains the only international, multilateral, and legally binding instrument on the protection of privacy and personal data”, emphasised Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić while addressing the Privacy Symposium 2024 Conference in Venice.
The event provided a unique opportunity to exchange views between data protection authorities, practitioners and researchers who gathered to discuss the latest developments and future evolution of data protection. The programme focused on upcoming changes in data processing regulations with a highlight on emerging technologies and data protection compliance. International co-operation and convergence have been at the centre of the conference.
“Data security must be prioritised, with special categories of data needing special safeguards. Categories that include racial origin, religious beliefs, and sexual life. It also spells out how transborder data flows should take place safely and it is clear on how parties should co-operate over implementation. All of this remains vitally important. But the last four decades have seen extraordinary social and technological change with the scale, diversity and use of personal data growing beyond what had been imagined before. That is why we have adopted an upgrade: Convention 108+. This instrument is tailor-made for our increasingly complex digital world. It provides new evaluation and review mechanisms and countries that ratify it have their higher level of data protection recognised at international level. They are classified as “safe players” in the “data market”: able to exchange specific information based on mutual trust and to use it safely and securely for the economic benefit of their societies”, stated Marija Pejčinović Burić.
