Contribution of the Commissioner’s Office in the international setting: January-July 2021

05/08/2021 | INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES, Uncategorized

Contribution of the Commissioner’s Office in the international setting: January-July 2021

The international engagement accounts for an important part of the activities of the Information and Data Protection Commissioner’s Office. Despite its limited resources and capacities, the Commissioner’s Office has, over the last years, played an ever-active role in the international context, culminating with the hosting in May 2018 in Tirana of the European Conference of Data Protection Authorities, and in October 2019 of the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners (ICDPPC), both being major global data protection and privacy events. Prior to these, in 2015 our authority had organised the 17th Meeting of the Central and Eastern Europe Data Protection Authorities (CEEDPA) and the 27th Case Handling Workshop.

The Commissioner’s Office deems important to periodically inform the public at large on its contribution in the international setting, in an effort to further support public and private data controllers, as well as the public opinion by providing information on the engagement of the Commissioner’s Office on the one hand, and the major development in the areas of personal data protection and the right to information.

While in the previous month we published the activities carried out in July, we’re now introducing our specific contribution over the past seven months of the period January-July 2021:

  • In its capacity of member of the Future of the Conference Working Group (FOTC) of the European Conference of Data Protection Authorities, the Commissioner’s Office participated in the meetings held on January 8 and 13. This working group continues making intensive efforts toward strengthening of the status and position of this important European forum of co-operation in the area of personal data protection. The representatives of the Commissioner’s Office have particularly engaged in the context of the amendments to the Rules of Procedures of the Conference and in the technical features of the strategic direction and functioning of this forum.
  • On January 14, the Commissioner’s Office attended the meeting of the Strategic Direction Subcommittee (SDSC) of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA). It is worth recalling that this subcommittee has been tasked by the Executive Committee of the Global Privacy Assembly with the delivery of the policy strategy objectives of the Assembly, as adopted with the Policy Strategy 2019-2021 document and comprises of the SAs of Australia, Germany, United Kingdom and Albania.
  • On 18 February, the representatives of the Commissioner’s Office held an online meeting with the counterpart authority of the United Kingdom, with discussions focusing on the results of the global census of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA), where the Commissioner’s Office has provided its specific contribution, by medium of developing the first questionnaire of the Assembly on connection with data governance in the public sector.
  • On 23 February, the Commissioner’s Office attended the meeting of the Working Group on the Future of the European Conference of Data Protection Authorities, whereas on the 3rd of March participated in the first meeting of the newly established Steering Group of the European Conference of Data Protection Authorities. This Steering Group shall act as the governance body of the European Conference, and currently comprises of the SAs of the United Kingdom, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Albania, Georgia, Croatia and Gibraltar. This first meetings focused on determining the strategy deliverables of the European Conference, and the efforts required in order to strengthen the forum’s capacity.
  • On March 11, the Commissioner’s Office attended the following meeting of the Strategic Direction Subcommittee of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA). This meeting included inter alia the quarterly reports of the working groups of the Assembly, while on March 12, the Commissioner’s Office participated in another meeting of the Working Group on the Future of the European Conference (FOTC).
  • On 17 March, the Commissioner’s Office was represented at the 2021-2023 Policy Strategy Workshop of the Executive Committee of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA). It is worth mentioning that prior to the workshop, a series of consultations within the Executive Committee were carried out, focusing on gathering inputs on the draft developed by the Assembly’s Secretariat.
  • On 24 March, the Commissioner’s Office attended the 67th Meeting of the International Working Group on Data Protection in Technology (commonly referred to as the Berlin Group), which was held through videoconference, and focused on topics relating to sensor networks, voice-controlled devices, smart cities, etc. In the framework of this meeting, the Commissioner’s Office also shared its report on the activities in the area of technology.
  • On 25 March, the Commissioner’s Office attended the consultation meeting organised by the United Nations Development Programme Albania (UNDP) in the ambit of the preparation of its next Country Programme Document for the period 2022-2026. The Commissioner’s Office attended another event on March 25, the 63rd meeting of the Executive Committee of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA).
  • In the capacity of member of the Bids Assessment Subcommittee of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA), the Commissioner’s Office attended on 12 April a consultation meeting with an applicant authority for the hosting of the 2023 annual GPA event. In this meeting, the representatives of the Commissioner’s Office shared their experience throughout the engagement within the GPA, and insights on the past experience of hosting the 41st International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioner back in October 2019.
  • In the capacity of observer to the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), the Commissioner’s Office participated in the next plenary meeting held on April 13, whereas on April 15, attended the following meeting of the Working Group on the Future of the European Conference (FOTC).
  • In its capacity of member of the Working Group on the Future of the Global Privacy Assembly, the Commissioner’s Office attended the meeting held on April 21, which dealt with a thorough analysis of the proposals/documents developed in the ambit of the future model of financing and functioning of the Secretariat of the Assembly.
  • The Commissioner’s Office attended on 19 May the next plenary meeting of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB). The Commissioner’s Office regularly attends Board meeting in the capacity of observer.
  • By virtue of its membership in the Accreditation Subcommittee of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA), alongside the supervisory authorities of New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the Commissioner’s Office participated in an information meeting held on 25 May with a candidate authority, aimed at discussing questions relating to accreditation in this forum.
  • On June 1, was held another training course of the series provided by the DECOS project “Developing Capacity, Cooperation and Culture in Overseeing the Security Sectors of Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia”, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and implemented by the Centre for European Security Studies, where invited speaker was Mr. Jan Marinus Wiersma, former Member of the European Parliament, expert on Balkans related issues and currently Senior Visiting Fellow at the Clingendael Institute.
  • On 1 and 2 June 2021, was held the digital conference entitled “Civil Society & Think Tank Forum I – Road to Berlin”, in the context of the 2021 Berlin Summit on the Wester Balkans, organised by the Aspen Institute of Germany. Representatives of the Commissioner’s Office attended numerous sessions, notably the discussion panel with civil society organisations of the Western Balkans, where several personal data protection aspects were dealt with, and a number of recommendations to be addressed to the respective governments were developed.
  • On June 4, 2021 a webinar on the Partnership between the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and Albania was organised by the FRA and the EU Delegation to Albania, where remarks were delivered by the EU Ambassador to Albania, Mr. Luigi Soreca, the FRA Deputy Director, Mr. Constantinos Manolopoulos, and a keynote speech by the Deputy Minister of Justice of Albania, Ms. Etilda Gjonaj.
  • On June 4, another training session provided by the DECOS project was held in the format of a discussion and practical interaction format.
  • In its capacity of EDPB observer, the Commissioner’s Office attended on 8 June the Plenary Session of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB).
  • On 10 June, the Commissioner’s Office participated in the 64th meeting of the Executive Committee of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA). The Commissioner’s Office is member of the steering body of this global data and privacy protection organisation.
  • On 22 June 2021, the Commissioner’s Office attended in the capacity of member to the Accreditation Sub-committee of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA) in an online meeting with a candidate authority applying for membership in the GPA, where different questions relating to the application process were discussed.
  • ON 23 and 24 June 2021, the Commissioner’s Office attended the 12th Closed Session of the International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) and the 2nd webinar of the Open Session of this conference on June 30, under the theme “Blurred boundaries in access to information: home office and public records management”. The Closed Session announced, inter alia, the election of the new ICIC Executive Committee, with the Commissioner’s Office joining as elected member following the elections held last May. This year, the ICIC Open Session will be held through a series of monthly webinars until mid-December 2021.
  • From 28-30 June 2021 was held the 41st Plenary Meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Convention 108 of the Council of Europe, where the Commissioner’s Office participated in the quality of voting member. This plenary meeting dealt with important issues, however the focus lied on the protection of personal data amid the Covid-19 global pandemic and the challenges that the supervisory authorities encounter in this context.
  • On July 5, 8, 12 and 13 were held the training sessions of the DECOS project “Developing Capacity, Cooperation and Culture in Overseeing the Security Sectors of Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia”, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and implemented by the Centre for European Security Studies.
  • On July 7, the Commissioner’s Office attended the next plenary meeting of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) in the capacity of observer to the Board.
  • On 15 July, the Commissioner’s Office took part in the next Strategic Direction Subcommittee’s meeting (SDSC) of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA), which dealt firstly with the quarterly reports of the working groups of the GPA, and was subsequently followed by a closed meeting of the Subcommittee (SDSC). At this meeting, the Commissioner’s Office provided its last update on the workstream tasked with during the period of participation in the subcommittee. Again, on 15 July, the Commissioner’s Office attended the next meeting of the Working Group on the Future of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA), where very important decisions were made with relevance to the future organisation and functioning the Assembly.
  • On 28 July was held the next webinar of the Open Session of the International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) under the theme “Privacy and transparency in health issues”, whereas on July 30, a workshop of the Open Session of the International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) was held under the theme “Transparency by design and document management as means of good governance”. Both these events were conducted online and were followed by the Commissioner’s Office. It is worth mentioning that the Commissioner’s Office participate as full member of the International Conference of Information Commissioner, whereas last May was elected member of the newly established ICIC Executive Committee.