On 1 October, the Council of Europe launched the first regional course on Data Protection and Privacy Rights of the Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) programme in the Southern Mediterranean. Over 40 representatives of data protection authorities, ministries of justice, telecommunications and other stakeholders across the region participated in the online launching event.

The HELP course on Data Protection and Privacy Rights responds to a crucial need to strengthen the knowledge of professionals in this field, by offering an interactive and comprehensive training programme through 10 modules over the period of 3 months. The objective is to provide participants with practical tools and knowledge to address issues related to personal data protection safeguards at the national level while adhering to European and international standards, notably the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data - Convention 108+ which is the only legally binding global instrument in this area. The course is also available in self-learning format in 21 languages, including English, French and Arabic on the HELP platform.

The regional HELP course aims at fostering dialogue and exchanges between partners in the Southern Mediterranean to contribute towards reinforced protection of personal data in the region. Efficient and robust personal data protection frameworks allow for safeguarding this important right and addressing emerging privacy challenges resulting from the increased use of new information and communication technologies, the globalisation of processing operation and the ever-greater transborder flow of personal data, both in public and private sectors.

 

 More details in the concept note of the event

 

The launching event and the implementation of the regional HELP course on Data Protection and Privacy Rights is organised in the framework of the South Programme V “Protecting human right, rule of law and democracy through shared standards in the Southern Mediterranean”, which is a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe, co-financed by both organisations and implemented by the latter.