NPC and DIFC gains stronger foothold through MOU signing
The Philippine National Privacy Commission (NPC) and the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) move to gain a stronger foothold on their commitment to uphold international standards on personal data security and protection as they forged a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at strengthening collaboration and cooperation in the field of data privacy. The ceremonial signing took place on 05 April 2024 following the IAPP Global Privacy Summit 2024 in Washington, DC, USA with the NPC and DIFC represented by Privacy Commissioner John Henry Naga (NPC) and Commissioner Jacques Visser (DIFC), respectively.
Privacy Commissioner Atty. John Henry Naga stressed the value and impact of the MOU, “This MOU with the Dubai International Financial Centre further strengthens our cooperation with our co-regulators from other jurisdictions. This partnership is an opportunity for both our data privacy authorities to foster a culture of privacy within our respective jurisdictions amidst the forefront of accelerated digitalization in both the public and private sectors. I look forward to this collaboration as we can both leverage from each other’s expertise, experience, and best practices on data privacy on a regional and global scale.”
On the other hand, Commissioner of Data Protection Jacques Visser of DIFC emphasized that “The Philippines National Privacy Commission and DIFC have established a productive relationship over the years, including our work together in the Global Privacy Assembly Covid 19 Task Force and in the Global Cross Border Privacy Rules Forum. We are very happy to continue collaborating for example with respect to enforcement cooperation or exploring options for data sharing with trust between our jurisdictions. I offer my sincere gratitude to Commissioner Naga and his team for their hard work in pulling together our forward-looking MOU.”
Scope of collaboration
Through the MOU, NPC and DIFC commit to strengthen the relationship of the two data protection authorities by providing assistance in the enforcement of data protection laws, and engaging into joint investigations for personal data incidents and breaches, among others.
NPC and DIFC will also venture in knowledge sharing by providing trainings focused on current and emerging privacy and data protection issues and trends, and exchange information involving their respective commercial or strategic initiatives.
In similar fashion, the MOU shall bolster the development of both NPC and DIFC by promoting international certification system and actively participating in cross-jurisdictional sandboxes. It is also expected that through the MOU, the NPC and DIFC will enhance compatible mechanisms to facilitate trusted cross-border data flows.
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