During the COVID-19 pandemic, data has been valuable when monitoring the spread of the virus, containing it, and beyond. However, its widespread use raises concerns among privacy and data protection experts, both within and outside the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ system.
Joint Statement on Data Protection and Privacy in Response to COVID-19
With Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ entities noting the urgent need for guidance on the privacy-protected?use of data, the developed the?Joint Statement on Data Protection and Privacy in Response to COVID-19.
The statement was issued and endorsed by the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ organizations noted above on 19 November to reinforce the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ¡¯s commitment to using data and technology in a way that respects the right to privacy and other human rights.
It helps inform and guide the global response to COVID-19 across the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ system.
The statement aligns with the?, the Secretary-General¡¯s Call to Action for Human Rights, as well as the Secretary-General¡¯s?Data Strategy.
Although it aims to address the challenges of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Statement can serve as a precedent for using data to respond to future emergencies in a way that preserves fundamental human rights and freedoms.
About the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Privacy Policy Group
Established in 2016, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Privacy Policy Group is an inter-agency group co-chaired by??and the Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT).
Its primary objective is to unite efforts on data privacy and data protection across the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ and build the capacity of organizations for responsible data sharing and processing.
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Principles of Data Protection and Privacy
The set out a basic framework for processing ¡°personal data¡± by, or on behalf of, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ system organizations in carrying out their mandated activities.
They were created by the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵPPG and adopted by the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ system in 2018.
