The Council of Europe and the Arab Information & Communication Technologies Organization (AICTO) co-organised a regional conference for national authorities responsible for the protection of personal data in the Southern Mediterranean on 15 and 16 April 2025 in Tunis.

This first collaboration brings together 30 representatives of national authorities, international experts, actors in the digital sector, and other private and public institutions in the region.

Over the course of the two days, participants examined national legal frameworks  in the region, identifed common challenges, and discussed ways to harmonise national data protection laws in line with the international standards provided by the Council of Europe, namely Convention 108 for the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data, which is the first  international legally binding instrument in this area, and its modernised version, Convention 108+.

In 2017, Tunisia became the first country from the MENA region to accede to Convention 108, followed by Morocco in 2019.

The event also included the analysis of case studies, discussions on the role of supervisory authorities and data protection officers, and the Council of Europe's capacity-building tools: the Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) and the Human Rights Education for Youth (HEY).

In the context of of accelerating digital transformation, the protection of personal data is becoming a global priority and a key issue for the protection of human rights, democracy, and the promotion of economic development. The joint initiative between the Council of Europe and AITCO marks a key step towards strengthening regional and Euro-Mediterranean cooperation between institutions in the field of personal data protection.

This conference was followed by a Training of Trainers (ToT) session on the HELP methodology. The objective is to establish a pool of HELP tutors in the region and to launch and adapt HELP courses in the field of data protection that are adapted into national contexts of the partner countries.

By bringing together key partners from authorities and other competent institutions responsible for data protection, the Council of Europe and AICTO reaffirm their shared commitment to strengthening regional cooperation and promote a culture of data protection in the Southern Mediterranean in line with international standards.

This initiative is part of the Council of Europe's Neighbourhood Partnership with Tunisia, 2022-2025, and the joint initiative between the European Union and the Council of Europe, South Programme V, co-financed by the two organisations and implemented by the Council of Europe.