Accra, June 26, GNA - Professor Joseph A. Cannataci, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Privacy, has urged African countries to speed up enactment of data protection and privacy laws.
He noted that the African Region had been slow in enacting Data Protection and Privacy Laws in spite of the increased use of new technology.
He said it was therefore, essential to establish independent Supervisory Authorities across the Africa Region that would put in place appropriate measures to ensure people’s personal data was being used appropriately.
Less than 15 out of the 54 countries in the region have passed a Data Protection Law; this lack of action, the digital divide and knowledge deficit of the subject area has global implications and impact on the protection of individuals.
The recently modernised Council of Europe’s Convention 108+ on data protection is the legally binding instruments that had been for decades, the international best practice standard open to all countries in the world.
Prof Cannataci made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sideline of the first Africa Region Data Protection and Privacy Conference in Accra.
The conference, which is on the theme: “A Conference in Africa by African Authorities Focused on Africa”, is being hosted by the Ghana Data Protection Commission (DPC) in collaboration with the Network of African Data Protection Authorities and the Ministry of Communication.
Its objective is to create a platform for experts to discuss how Africa as a region rises to the challenge of the Global Data Protection, which is safeguarding of personal data as a fundamental human right.
Prof Cannataci said African countries through their data protection commissions were expected to consider the standards established in Convention 108+ and make laws that reflected on each of the provisions in Convention 108+, and most importantly ensure these laws were enforced.
Madam Patricia Adusei- Poku, Executive Director of Ghana DPC, also noted that among their action plans as a region was to document the Constitution of the African Network, to clearly highlight the process for onboarding new countries.
“We also have a plan to work with commissions such as ECOWAS and AU, to approach countries who have not passed the law, to engage with them at the policy level, to enable them pass the data protection law,” she added.
Ms Adusei-Poku said the key focus regarding the action plan was about standardising their approach; saying that the critical part of the constitution was to enable the compliance with the requirements of the Convention 108+.
The Executive Director said Africa as a region was expected to develop legislations which met the international best practice standards, so far as data protection was concern.
Mr Carl Sackey, Product Development Manager at Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNet) said with regards to implementing data protection laws there had been a lot of work in identifying what power the end user had as well as what power the State had.
He noted that for instance, tax authorities had the right to demand information purposely meant for audit, however, it was done within a context without violating the privacy rights of the end user.
Mr Sackey said GCNet as an entity was bound by the data protection and privacy laws to ensure that the appropriate procedures had been put in place; ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and the availability of the solutions they provided for government.
GNA
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS