Joint Programme

South Programme

The partner countries of the South Programme VI face shared challenges in developing, implementing, and strengthening their legal and institutional frameworks for both personal data protection and the governance of artificial intelligence. 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 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Academy of Technology, Informatics and Communications (ICT Academy) of Cyprus.

Both the Council of Europe and the ITU play complementary roles in strengthening data protection and artificial intelligence governance in the digital age. The ITU, as a specialised UN agency for information and communication technologies, brings extensive expertise in setting international standards, promoting secure cross-border data flows, and supporting the development of trustworthy and resilient digital infrastructures. This collaboration ensures a comprehensive approach to tackling existing and emerging challenges in data protection and AI and reinforces regional coherence in aligning legal frameworks with global standards.

The ICT Academy 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.

• 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.