Thorbjørn Jagland, Council of Europe Secretary General and Ambassador Jean-Baptiste Mattei, Permanent Representative of France to the Council of Europe, opened an international conference,co-organised in co-operation with the French Presidency of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, to reaffirm the universal importance of Convention 108+, in front of over 80 participants coming from all regions of the world.
“Accession [to Convention 108+] is not necessarily easy, but the rewards are plain to see. Joining now will give states Parties the opportunity to shape the future of data protection and maintain the free flow of data around the world” declared Thorbjørn Jagland.
Representatives of data protection authorities from France and Georgia but also Argentina, the Philippines and Tunisia underlined the need for a common legal regime for data protection at global level and how Convention 108+ is instrumental in reaching the necessary global harmonisation. The swift accession to Convention 108+ should be a priority for all countries. The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy, Joseph A. Cannataci, reiterated to this end his call for accession of all UN member States to this Council of Europe landmark instrument.
Already 30 countries have signed Convention 108+ and more will come, hopefully soon moving to the ratification phase.
