Africa-Press – Mauritius. The fifth edition of Privacy Symposium Africa (PSA), is being organised in Mauritius from 07 November to 09 November 2023. The PSA will take a sectoral lense approach and is being organised by Unwanted Witness, a leading human rights organisation dedicated to promoting online privacy and data protection in Uganda, and hosted by the Data Protection Office (DPO) of Mauritius.
The opening ceremony was held, this morning, at the Caudan Arts Centre in Port Louis. The Executive Director of Unwanted Witness, Mrs Dorothy Mukasa; the Data Protection Commissioner of DPO, Mrs Drudeisha Madhub, and other personalities were present on the occasion.
The President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun, who delivered his speech virtually, elaborated on the theme of this Conference ‘Navigating Privacy in the Age of Digital Transformation’.
According to him, it is an exceptional opportunity for stakeholders to connect to the network, brainstorm, share insights, and learn from each other on the most recent trends and challenges facing this sector.
Furthermore, the President asserted the importance of ensuring that legal frameworks not only keep pace with technological advancements but also serve as a bulwark for individual privacy rights.
Information Technology, the engine that propels us into the future, requires a vigilant approach to data protection and as we leverage technology for innovation and progress, it is paramount to do so by respecting the privacy and dignity of each and everyone, he pointed out.
Mr Roopun thus emphasised the need to intertwine education with technology so that a course that empowers our youth with knowledge while safeguarding their privacy rights be charted.
According to the President, media can play a pivotal role in shaping public discourse and opinion, making it essential to strike a harmonious balance between freedom and access to information, on the one hand, and the preservation of privacy on the other.
In addition to this, he went on to underline the need for an effective data governance policy that should typically address the inherent risks in data sharing while ensuring that a wide variety of data can be accessed and used to achieve its greatest economic and social potential.
This, President Roopun advocated, will enable innovation and responsible use of data by the public sector and businesses to namely: prioritise resources to where they are needed; adopt a consistent compliance culture; protect both the business and consumer; and improving the welfare of people.
On this score, the President put forward the initiatives taken by Mauritius to protect personal data, such as laws that cater to the right to privacy; international commitments on data protection, and; being a party to several international covenants like the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and, the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention).
For her part, Mrs Mukasa indicated that participants in this event comprise leaders, policymakers, and professionals who will brainstorm to help better understand the challenges and opportunities facing different industries when it comes to privacy and data protection.
Furthermore, she underscored that this edition will celebrate not only the previous achievements but also acknowledge the substantive hurdles that persist today as we navigate technology and explore our fundamental human rights.
As for Mrs Madhub, she observed that Mauritius has expanded its data protection landscape quite impressively over the years and stands at the forefront of technological innovation and protection of personal data in the African region.
According to her, Government considers data protection to be imperative in a world where using data is a vital precondition for economic growth and for the very survival of businesses.
She dwelt, too, on some new rights that have been conferred to the DPO under the Data Protection Act which came into force in January 2018, including better control over personal data.
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