Friday, January 27, 2023 at 09:12 PM
Tangier – The National Commission for the Control of Personal Data Protection (CNDP) organized, on Friday in Tangier, an international meeting to lay the foundations and examine the means of creating a Mediterranean network of experts and organizations specialized in the protection personal data and at the same time to present Morocco’s pioneering experience in this field.
This meeting, which was attended by officials and experts in the field from Spain, Italy, Lebanon, Israel, Tunisia, France and the European Commission, was also an opportunity to present the missions of the CNDP, an organization that was created on February 18, 2009, and to discuss the establishment of a regional network that brings together the countries of the Mediterranean area whose specific geographical, economic, security and human resources require the creation of such regional institutions.
In this context, the President of the CNDP, Omar Seghrouchni, indicated in a speech that Morocco wishes, in coordination with the various Mediterranean partners, to create a Mediterranean network of organizations and experts specialized in the protection of personal data starting from its desire to improve cooperation between the North and the South in crucial areas for the benefit of all the countries concerned, to enable them to face up to many challenges of an economic, security and financial nature, and to fight against certain phenomena experienced by the region, such as migration.
Mr. Seghrouchni underlined Morocco’s readiness to share its experience with the countries around the Mediterranean and to support respect for the freedoms and fundamental rights of individuals, investors and businessmen, and to support the orientations and transformations technological, economic, legal and societal that may affect the field of personal data protection in the Mediterranean region.
The protection of personal data is a subject that is attracting more and more attention from countries in the light of the rapid development of new technologies, the uncontrolled use of which can lead to violations of citizens’ rights and hinder economic development. , investment, passenger transport and the security and stability of States, he said, stressing that the establishment of a Mediterranean network and a common regulatory framework is more necessary than ever. , and requires more cooperation and pooling of efforts to meet the challenges related to this issue.
Mr. Seghrouchni added that the organization of this meeting in Tangier is not fortuitous because the city of the strait has a particular symbolism in terms of the protection of common human values and constitutes a link between the North, the South East and West of the Globe without forgetting that its History is the witness of various civilizations in addition to the fact that it sets itself up as a model of the exponential development experienced by Morocco under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, adding that this meeting is part of a series of national and international meetings that the CNDP is organizing as part of the celebration of the World Day for the Protection of Personal Data, especially since Morocco has accumulated many experiences with its presence active in the network of data protection authorities at the African level and provides the Permanent Secretariat, as well as a member of the executive committee of the world assembly of privacy ée, an international organization that brings together more than 130 countries.
He further noted that Morocco, since its creation of the CNDP, has been able to achieve several objectives, including supporting the culture of digital trust among public and private institutions, as well as among citizens, as well as the development of new technologies with continuous legislative and practical efforts to protect the use of personal data by these technological means.
The President of the CNDP stressed in this regard that the protection of behavioral data is today a strategic issue for protecting the personal data of citizens around the Mediterranean, including Moroccans, calling on the Mediterranean countries to redouble their efforts to agree practical and acceptable solutions that take into account the interests of all the countries of the region, and to strengthen partnerships in this area.
For his part, the international expert Joseph Cannataci, indicated in a declaration to M24, the continuous news channel of the MAP, that this initiative of Morocco is extremely important in view of the developments that the world is experiencing in the field of digitization, and concerns all the countries of the Mediterranean basin, which aims to be an international space par excellence and a crossroads for many countries acting both from the South and from the North.
This initiative is very important because, on the one hand, it allows all the players in the countries of the Mediterranean basin, whether they are experts, political and institutional players, scientists, academics and representatives of civil society to contribute to the management of the field of the protection of personal data, and, on the other hand, reflects the close and common links between the countries and cultures concerned which greatly need fruitful cooperation in the various fields in order to meet the challenges they face , explained Mr. Cannataci.
The speakers at this meeting welcomed Morocco’s initiative to create a Mediterranean network of experts and organizations specializing in the protection of personal data, noting that this reflects the Kingdom’s desire to make the Mediterranean area a haven of peace, security, stability, trust, mutual respect and a model for dealing collectively with the challenges of the region.
They also underlined that this Moroccan initiative is in line with the developments that the world is experiencing, not only in the field of digitalization and the development of new technologies, but also in terms of international legislation while confirming the will of several countries and regional and international organizations to put in place legal norms, rules and organizational mechanisms that govern the issue of personal data protection.
On this occasion, a committee of experts representing the various countries concerned was set up to discuss the technical, theoretical and legislative aspects with a view to creating a Mediterranean network of experts and organizations specializing in the protection personal data, which is open to all players able to bring qualitative added value to this network and contribute to strengthening ties in this strategic area.
There was also a presentation of the objective and missions of the CNDP, which ensures respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data.
The CNDP carries out an information and awareness-raising mission with individuals from organizations and public and private institutions and, to this end, ensures that individuals are informed of the rights conferred on them by the new legal framework regulating the use of their personal data. in Morocco, to advise and support individuals with a view to protecting themselves against any misuse of their personal data, to make public and private bodies aware of their obligations and best practices in the processing of personal data, to advise and support data controllers in the implementation of the process of compliance with the provisions of Law 09-08 and its implementing texts and to explain to economic operators the rules and mechanisms governing the transfer of personal data abroad .