The Republic of Senegal today became the third non-European state to accede to the Convention for the protection of individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data, also known as “Convention 108”, and its Additional Protocol, taking the total number of States Parties to the treaty to 50.
The treaty will enter into force in respect of Senegal on 1 December 2016.
In addition to Senegal, the 47 Council of Europe member states, Uruguay and Mauritius are already state parties to the convention. Another three countries – Cape Verde, Morocco and Tunisia – have been invited to accede to the treaty.
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“Convention 108” is the only existing international treaty which grants individuals the right to the protection of their personal data, aiming also to prevent any abuses which may accompany the processing of these data. Being open to signature by any country, it is the only binding legal standard which has the potential to be applied worldwide, providing legal certainty and predictability in international personal data transfers.
The treaty has become the backbone of personal data protection legislation in Europe and beyond. Opened for signature in 1981, it was drafted in a technologically neutral style, which enables its provisions to be fully valid today, regardless of technological developments. The text is currently being updated to ensure that its data protection principles are still valid for new tools and practices.
An additional protocol requires each party to establish an independent authority to ensure compliance with data protection principles and lays down rules on trans-border data flows.