Regional conference of data protection authorities and national authorities responsible for AI governance in South Programme VI partner countries

The protection of personal data has become a global priority, further intensified by rapid technological advances, digital transformation, and the growing deployment of artificial intelligence systems.

A robust data protection and AI governance frameworks help to build a common understanding of rights-respecting AI technologies, ensuring their safe, trusted, and inclusive development while protecting personal data and promoting equitable access to AI benefits. Moreover, these frameworks contribute to sustained economic prosperity by enabling trustworthy innovation, facilitating secure cross-border data flows, and attracting foreign investment.

About the Conference

Partner authorities in the Southern Mediterranean face shared challenges in developing, implementing, and strengthening their legal and institutional frameworks for both personal data protection and AI governance. These challenges include ensuring transparency, accountability, and fairness in AI systems, while safeguarding fundamental rights. Regional cooperation and the sharing of best practices between data protection authorities and national authorities responsible for AI governance, and other competent bodies are essential to ensure effective enforcement and coherent approaches to data protection and AI regulation.

In this context, the Council of Europe co-organised in April 2025, in partnership with the Arab ICT organisation (AICTO), the Regional Conference of Personal Data Protection Authorities in Tunisia. It brought together representatives of Southern Mediterranean and European data protection authorities, judges, representatives of national bodies, data protection officers, academics, and technology experts.

This regional conference is organised by the Council of Europe in the framework of the joint EU-Council of Europe South Programme VI, in partnership with the ICT Academy of the Office of the Commissioner of Communications, Cyprus, and with the support of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The ICT Academy of the Office of the Commissioner of Communications, Cyprus, was founded with the aim of empowering and educating both national and international target groups, promoting knowledge and the skills required in an ever-changing digital world. Through specialised training workshops, seminars, conferences, webinars, and lifelong learning programmes, the Academy promotes innovation, professional development, and digital resilience. Its premises reflect the event’s focus on secure and trustworthy digital environments.

The conference directly contributes to the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the European Union’s Pact for the Mediterranean, in particular its Pillar II on Prosperity. Its focus on digital transformation promotes stronger data protection frameworks and sustainable AI governance, supports partner countries in aligning practice with international standards while fostering innovation and cross-border digital cooperation.

Objectives

Strengthen regional dialogue and international cooperation among relevant authorities, expanding the scope to include artificial intelligence governance alongside personal data protection.
Support the development and implementation of robust legal and institutional frameworks, aligned with international standards, including the work of the Council of Europe on AI and data protection and the International Telecommunication Union on technical standards.
Promote peer-to-peer exchanges among data protection authorities and national authorities responsible for AI governance in the Southern Mediterranean, including the sharing of best practices and experiences based on practical case studies.
Provide a platform for dialogue on key AI challenges, including transparency, accountability, ethics, and impact and risk management, while safeguarding human rights.
Promote a coherent and integrated regional approach to data protection and trustworthy AI.
Providing a platform to further discuss and plan joint activities in the framework of the South Programme VI and the Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Europe and the ITU.
Launch the Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) course on artificial intelligence and human rights in Arabic as a side event for the Southern Mediterranean partners.

These activities are organised by the Council of Europe in partnership with the ICT Academy of the Office of the Commissioner of Communications, Cyprus, and with support of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in the framework of the joint European Union-Council of Europe programme “Strengthening the Euro-Mediterranean legal space for shared prosperity and human security” (South Programme VI), co-financed by the two organisations and implemented by the Council of Europe.

23rd of June 2026

9.00 – 9.30	Registration
9.30 – 9 .50	Opening session George Michaelides, Commissioner of Communications of Cyprus Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Cyprus (TBC) European Union representative (TBC) Albina Ovcearenco, Head of the Digital Development Unit and Secretary of the Steering Committee for New and Emerging Digital Technologies (CDNET), Council of Europe Kristian Bartholin, Head of the Data Protection Unit, Council of Europe Valentina Stadnic, Programme Officer, International Telecommunication Union Office for Europe
9.50 – 10.20	Session 1: Keynote speaker on the interrelation between data protection and artificial intelligence in the context of international cooperation George Michaelides, Commissioner for Personal Data Protection, Cyprus
10.20 – 11.00	Session 2: Perspective of the International Telecommunication Union on Data Protection and Artificial Intelligence Karim Abdelghani, Senior Advisor on Artificial Intelligence, International Telecommunication Union Office in Arab Regional Office
11.00 – 11.30	Coffee break and group photo
11.30 – 13.15	Session 3: National developments in the fields of Data Protection and Artificial Intelligence in the Southern Mediterranean region Tour de table of partner authorities in the Southern Mediterranean region
13.15 – 14.30	Lunch
14.30 – 15.15	Session 4: Data protection in AI systems Monika Susałko, Council of Europe consultant on Data Protection
15.15 - 16.00	Session 5: Moderated debate based on a case study related to practical aspects of personal data protection in AI systems Monika Susałko, Council of Europe consultant on Data Protection Moderators: Moritz Taylor, Guillemette Martin and Maria Giannakopoulou, Data protection and Artificial Intelligence Units, the South Programme VI Project Officers, Council of Europe
16.00 – 16.15	Coffee break
16.15 – 17.00	Session 6: Presentation on the ICT Academy’s role and objectives Christina Distra, ICT Academy Supervisor, ICT Academy

24th of June 2026

9.00 – 9.15	Registration
9.15 – 10.30	Session 7: Presentation on operationalising human rights in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and AI standardisation: moving from high-level principles to concrete technical and governance practices Jordi Ascensi Sala, Council of Europe consultant on Artificial Intelligence Albina Ovcearenco, Head of the Digital Development Unit and Secretary of the CDNET
10.30 – 10.45	Coffee break
10.45 - 12.30	Session 8: Moderated debate based on a case study related to the HUDERIA Methodology and Model Jordi Ascensi Sala, Council of Europe consultant on* Artificial Intelligence* Albina Ovcearenco, Head of the Digital Development Unit and Secretary of the CDNET
12.30 – 14.00	Lunch
14.00 – 15.30 15.30 - 16.00	Session 9: Launch of the regional HELP course on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights Mirka Honko, Coordinator of the South Programme VI, Council of Europe Office in Tunis Tawfiq Abu Baker, HELP tutor, Former Personal Data Protection Director, Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, Jorda Closing remarks Valentina Stadnic, Programme Officer, International Telecommunication Union Office for Europe Albina Ovcearenco, Head of the Digital Development Unit and Secretary of the CDNET, Council of Europe Kristian Bartholin, Head of the Data Protection Unit, Council of Europe European Union representative (TBC)