1. Data Protection
DG I’s ‘Open House’ for
Permanent Representations
Data Protection
Sophie Kwasny, 19 May 2014

2. Data Protection
Data protection : an enabling right
ECHR
Article 1 – Obligation to respect human rights
Article 8 – Right to private life
Article 9 – Freedom of thought, conscience
and religion
Article 10 – Freedom of expression
Article 11 – Freedom of assembly and
association

3. Data Protection
Convention 108
33 years old: 46 parties (including
Uruguay) + observers (US, Canada,
Australia and non-state actors)
Pending : Morocco
Remaining CoE : Turkey and San Marino
Current modernisation to:
 reinforce the individuals’ protection
 strengthen the follow-up mechanism

4. Data Protection
Convention 108
Modernisation trends :
•promote as a universal standard
•preserve general, simple, flexible and
pragmatic character
•ensure coherence with other relevant
frameworks (EU, OECD, APEC)

5. Data Protection
Convention 108
What’s new ?
• Language
• Scope
• Principles for the protection of personal data
• Sensitive data
• Rights of the data subjects
• Data controllers’ obligations
• Transborder flows of personal data
• Supervisory authorities
• Committee of the Parties

6. Data Protection
Convention 108
State of Play:
• Consultative committee proposals
(November 2012)
• CAHDATA – 3rd and last meeting on 1-3
December 2014.

7. Data Protection
Convention 108
Issues at stake:
• Credibility of the convention
• Efficient functioning
• Implementation of its provisions
• Future attractivity

8. Data Protection
Convention 108
Your role:
•Promotion of Convention 108 in bilateral
and international relations (UN, EU, OECD,
etc.).
•Support expert participation

9. Data Protection
Other standard-setting work
Consultative Committee of
Convention 108
• 31st Plenary: 2-4 June 2014
• Data in the police sector
• Data in the employment sector
• Medical data
• Big data

10. Data Protection
Promotion of our standards
- CM decision 2008
- Regional networks
- UN fora (side-event to the HR Council
in Geneva, organised by the Austrian
Mission)
- Specialised events

11. Data Protection
Cooperation and capacity building
- Legal expertise
- Joint programmes (Strenghtening
information society in Ukraine)
- Action plans
- Voluntary contributions

12. Data Protection
The broader picture: Internet Governance
Cybercrime:
Article 15 and transborder access to data
Internet governance:
2012-2015 Strategy
Human rights guide for internet users
Global, regional (EuroDIG)and national IGFs
ICANN high level panel,
TC-INF (Ambassador Gea Rennel, Estonia)

13. Data Protection
Thank you for your attention
www.coe.int/dataprotection
dataprotection@coe.int