Photo: @estudiofym

A Digital Transformation Gathering was held in Montevideo, Uruguay, this past August 21-23 to mark the tenth anniversary of the Electronic Government and Information and Knowledge Society Agency (AGESIC), organizers of the event. The three-day meeting addressed major issues related to Uruguay’s digital evolution over the last decade, as well as the main challenges for the future, against the backdrop of the process known as “transformation with equity.”

The OAS Department of International Law (Secretariat for Legal Affairs) was invited by the Regulatory Unit for Access to Public Information (UAIP) to participate in a panel discussion on “Open Data: Redoubling Efforts Toward Transparency," while the Regulatory Unit for Personal Data (URCDP) invited the Department’s participation in the panel discussions on “The Global Outlook for Personal Data Protection” and “The Role of Regulation in Guaranteeing Privacy.”

Access to public information and personal data protection – both important issues for the region – have been promoted by the DIL, particularly in recent years.

Within the OAS, a key aspect of access to public information is the Inter-American Model Law, which the General Assembly adopted in 2010. Within the framework of this Model Law, the DIL has been carrying out a project to support member states as they adopt legislation in this area. In 2016, the General Assembly also adopted an Inter-American Program on Access to Public Information, assigning the DIL to coordinate it. Fourteen member states have already designated their respective Focal Points for this Program. In 2017, the General Assembly requested the DIL to identify, in consultation with these Focal Points, thematic areas in which it feels the Inter-American Model Law needed to be updated or expanded, which will undoubtedly give the issue a greater thrust in the region.

On the matter of personal data protection, the General Assembly recently instructed the DIL to continue supporting member states’ efforts to take legislative and other appropriate measures to ensure personal data are protected under their domestic laws and in keeping with their international obligations and commitments. Key references in this exercise are the Legislative Guidelines on Privacy and Personal Data Protection in the Americas, which the Inter-American Juridical Committee adopted in 2015; and the Twelve Principles said Committee adopted in 2012 and on which the Legislative Guide is based.  

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