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Busy - in person - 43rd plenary meeting for the Committee of Convention 108
The Convention 108 Committee held its 43rd plenary meeting in Strasbourg from 16 to 18 November 2022, first time exclusively face-to-face meeting in three years. It brought together representatives from more than 70 countries and international institutions to continue the work begun under its...
43rd plenary meeting of the Committee of Convention 108
The 43rd Plenary session of the Committee of Convention 108 has started on Wednesday 16 November 2022 in Strasbourg. This very much awaited in-person meeting, after three years of online/hybrid meetings, gathers about 80 participants from all regions of the world over three days to work and...
Intelligence oversight in the Brave New World of Proportionality – 5th International Intelligence Oversight Forum (IIOF)
On 14 and 15 November, the Council of Europe hosted the 5th edition of the International Intelligence Oversight Forum (IIOF) on the theme "Intelligence oversight in the Brave New World of Proportionality”. It was attended by nearly 90 participants, mostly members of intelligence oversight bodies...
With Andorra, 20 ratifications for Convention 108+
Today, 18 october 2022, in the presence of the Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador Joan Forner Rovira, Permanent Representative of Andorra to the Council of Europe, deposited the instruments of ratification of the Amending Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard...
Apply for the 2023 Stefano Rodotà Award!
Are you a young student/researcher who has published academic research in the field of data protection in 2022? If you think your research is original and has an impact, the Council of Europe Convention 108 Committee invites you to submit your research for the 5th edition of the Stefano Rodota...
‘’ Transparency and Protection - Two Fundamental Components of Democracy”
A conference titled ‘’Transparency and Protection - Two Fundamental Components of Democracy’’, held in Tunis on 5 October, was the occasion to discuss the balance of the rights of access to information and of data protection, within the respect of international standards. Following a key note...
The cooperation mechanism of Convention 108+ at the AFAPDP Meetings
The "Rencontres francophones de la protection des données personnelles", organised by the Association francophone des autorités de protection des données, on 3 October in Tunis, on the occasion of its XIV annual conference, devoted a whole panel to the cooperation mechanisms of the international...
Council of Europe data protection approach at the 2022 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit
The data protection approach of the Council of Europe was the topic of a key note video speech delivered at the Forum of Rule of Law on the Internet: Building the Rule of Law System in Digital Era at the World Internet Conference 2022 in China, on 26 September 2022. In her speech, Isabelle...
25th anniversary of Il Garante - the State of Privacy 2022
On the occasion of the celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante per la protezione dei dati personali), a multidisciplinary conference addressed the State of Privacy 2022 and looked at the future, on 23 September in Naples. Together with other high...
56th meeting of the Bureau of the Committee of Convention 108 in Strasbourg
The Bureau of the Committee of Convention 108 held its 56th meeting on 21 and 22 September in Strasbourg. Preparing the 43rd plenary meeting of 16-18 November in Strasbourg, it pursued its discussions on ongoing pieces of work, respectively on Guidelines on digital identities in view of their...
The Council of Europe at the Data Law Conference in Ghana
The Council of Europe participated in the Data Law Conference on “African Data Protection Laws: Regulation, Practice and Policy” held in Accra (Ghana) from 13 to 15 September. The Data Protection Unit delivered a key notes speech and moderated the 4th plenary session on Digital Identity,...
Greek wiretapping scandal, the Pegasus report evermore relevant
A new wiretapping scandal at national level in Greece triggered a reaction from the European Commission asking for explanations. (see press release) If confirmed, this incident shows that the Report on Pegasus spy software, published by the Council of Europe is more relevant than ever and that...
Working visit of the Data Protection Commissioner
Jean-Philippe Walter, Data Protection Commissioner will make his working visit to Strasbourg on the 5 afternoon and 6 September 2022 and will be at the disposal of Council of Europe staff who wish to meet him /or talk to him. The Council of Europe Data Protection Commissioner is in charge of...
With Albania, Convention 108+ reaches half the needed ratifications
On 22 July 2022, Ambassador Dastid KORESHI, Permanent Representative of Albania to the Council of Europe, forwarded the instrument of ratification of the Amending Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to the Processing of Personal Data (CETS 223) to the...
At the heart of summer, Austria ratifies Convention 108+
On 13 July 2022, in the presence of the Deputy Secretary General, Mr. Bjørn Berge, Ambassador Aloisia WÖRGETTER, Permanent Representative of Austria to the Council of Europe deposited the instrument of ratification of the Amending Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with...
Launch of the HELP Course on Personal Data Protection and Privacy in Tunisia
The Council of Europe and the National Authority for Personal Data Protection (INPDP) launched, on 12 July 2022, the first edition of the Human Rights Education Programme for Legal Professionals (HELP) course on the protection of personal data and privacy in Tunisia, within the framework of the...
Convention 108+ at a European Judicial Training Network (EJTN) training session
On 29 and 30 May in Zadar (Croatia), the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN), main platform and promoter for the training and exchange of knowledge of the European judiciary, representing the interests of over 120,000 European judges, prosecutors, judicial trainers and court staff across...
Pegasus and spy softwares – beyond public outcry, human rights and democracy in danger
A new report investigating Pegasus spyware impacts on human rights was launched by the Council of Europe on the occasion of the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly. It was prepared by the Information Society Department with contributions from Tamar Kaldani, former Personal Data...
Hearing of the Data Protection Commissioner on COVID tracing apps
Today, the Council of Europe Data Protection Commissioner, Jean-Philippe WALTER, was heard by the Parliamentary Assembly culture, science, education and medias committee on tracing applications deployed since the covid-19 pandemic. This hearing took place on the occasion of the presentation of a...
Building a common legal space – a decade of joint action in the southern Mediterranean region
A regional conference marked the 10th anniversary of the South Programme, a joint initiative between the European Union and the Council of Europe, in Alicante, on 8 and 9 June. It took stock of the achievements and lessons learnt since the start of the South Programme in 2012 and was aiming to...

