The Data Protection Unit participated in, and contributed to, the Data Protection Academy for the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership Region on 9-13 September 2024 in Brussels, Belgium. The event was developed in cooperation with the EDPB, EDPS, OECD SIGMA Programme, GIZ (German International Development Cooperation Agency), Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the Regional School for Public administration (ReSPA) and focused on national Data Protection Authorities.

The Data Protection Unit presented the Council of Europe's legal framework and cooperation activities on data protection including the South Programme V, a joint initiative between the European Union and the Council of Europe on Protecting human rights, rule of law and democracy through shared standards in the Southern Mediterranean. The event also hosted the Council of Europe’s session on biometrics and facial recognition with the presentation by Ms Tamar Kaldani, former Data Protection Supervisor of Georgia and Vice-Chair of the Consultative Committee of the CoE Convention 108.

The Data Protection Academy is a project created by the European Commission (DG JUST) that offers support and training for data protection authorities of non-EU countries. It provides a platform for data protection authorities outside the EU to exchange views, best practices, and lessons learned with their EU counterparts.