PH wins seat in international privacy body

The Philippines has earned a voting seat in the five-member executive committee of the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners (ICDPPC), the National Privacy Commission (NPC) said on Thursday.

The ICDPPC is a worldwide conference of 119 independent regulators from all over the world, coming together to explore high-level proposals on data privacy and protection.

“Having a seat at the committee’s table to take part in addressing challenges that privacy regulators face is definitely a privilege for the NPC,” NPC Commissioner Raymund Liboro said in a statement.

“It’s an opportunity for learning from each other’s experience. Definitely, the Philippines although young has a lot to contribute too especially in assisting new members,” he added.

As part of the committee, the NPC is expected to take part in setting the agenda of the conference and in defining its strategic direction for the next years.

The ICDPPC’s executive committee, according to NPC, is composed of five elected members with a term of two years.

Current members include the privacy authorities of Australia, Canada, Burkina Faso, and the United Kingdom which holds the chairmanship, NPC added.

“It is an honor for the NPC to represent the country at the ICDPPC, especially in a leadership capacity,” Liboro said.

“This is an acknowledgement of the hard work we expend, as well as the country’s commitment to data protection,” he added.

According to NPC, it became a member of the ICDPPC in October 2016, steadily advocating for the Philippines and the Asian regional voice to resonate in the global forum.  /muf