UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy is finding resources to do his job

At yesterday’s ASSO DPO conference in Milan, Dr Joseph Cannataci, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy, told PL&B that, although he receives a low official budget (PL&B International Report April 2016 pp.10-12), in fact, he is finding resources to do his job. Having been finding resources and managing privacy projects since 1984, he is managing to utilise and build on his existing contacts. He is now seeking funding and capable people from Non-Governmental Organisations, Data Protection Authorities and companies. His only condition for accepting resources is that there must be no strings attached. He will accept help only if he uses the resources with complete independence.

Although privacy is not defined in Art. 12 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights (he said that it is the most translated document in the world), this apparent weakness gives him some flexibility in his work. Clearly the EU has taken the lead and, having adopted the EU Data Protection Regulation last week, is influential across the world for companies wanting to do business in this region of 500+ million people.

Dr Joseph Cannataci writes in the June edition of Privacy Laws & Business International Report about how he is achieving value added synergy between his low official UN budget and his many contacts around the world.