Morocco’s Commission for Personal Data Protection (CNDP) and the Right to Information Access Commission (CDAI) convened a symposium today tailored to journalists, in order to discuss information-related topics and legal matters, as well as the roles of the two commissions.
Created in 2009, the CNDP’s primary mission is to ensure that the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals concerning the processing of personal data are respected.
The CDAI is the body that ensures the right to access information and advises institutions on law enforcement. It also handles complaints, raises awareness about the provision of information, and issues recommendations for improving access procedures.
Entitled, “Protection of Personal Data and Access to Information Rights in Morocco,” the conference was attended by Moroccan media workers and covered Statute No. 08-09 regarding personal data protection and processing, as well as Statute No. 13-31 regarding access to information rights.
Omar Seghrouchni, President of CNDP and CDAI emphasized the pivotal roles of personal data protection and transparency in information access, highlighting the need for a balanced approach to achieve both objectives.
“We live in an interconnected society, in which digitization is strongly entrenched, requiring us to develop a new balance, in which transparency and protection of personal data prevail,” Seghrouchni stated.
In a press statement to Barlaman.com following the event, Abdelfattah Zahrach, a Rabat-based lawyer, emphasized the value of the laws addressed during the conference, noting the protection they provide under the Kingdom’s 2011 Constitution as well as under international agreements, “…especially with the rise of globalization and digitization, which requires improved security of personal data.”
Zahrach emphasized, “Efforts should be concerted to guarantee access to information with the protection of personal data despite the growing challenges.”