Citizens’ personal data are increasingly endangered due to digitalization and advances in technology, which is why it is necessary to regularly harmonize laws and regulations in this area. This message resonated strongly at the conference dedicated to marking the Day of Personal Data Protection. The evolving and complex digital landscape demands continuous efforts to ensure that our legal frameworks stay ahead of the challenges posed by the digital era.
This year, for the first time, recognitions were awarded for a special contribution to the protection of personal data in the Republic of Serbia. Special recognition for the support of the project “Strengthening the Rule of Law in the Republic of Serbia”, jointly funded by the EU and Germany, in raising awareness of the importance of the topic of personal data protection, support through the exchange of knowledge with EU experts in the use of biometric data and video surveillance, and organization of conferences, was awarded to GIZ, which implemented project activities. Commissioner Mr. Milan Marinovic conferred the special recognition at the award ceremony to Ms. Daniela Funke, the Director of GIZ Serbia. In her acceptance speech, Ms. Funke expressed her gratitude, stating that the award will strengthen joint efforts to work together in enhancing the protection of personal data in Serbia. “We are committed to supporting the implementation of planned activities under the Chapter 23 Action Plan. This recognition marks a significant milestone in fostering partnerships and reinforcing commitments to data protection and I am incredibly grateful for this honor, which symbolizes the strong cooperation between Germany, Serbia, and the EU,” she added.
Emphasizing the importance of raising awareness and improving the capacity of personal data protection, The Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection Mr. Milan Marinovic said that trustees and similar institutions around the world must work together and help citizens with data protection, “that are more vulnerable today than ever”. “A man about whom everything is known is more exposed than someone who walks without clothes in one of the busiest cities,” Mr. Marinovic illustrated. The conference highlighted another jubilee: the Office of the Commissioner was established 20 years ago – in 2004 – the same as Facebook, which corresponded with the emergence of social networks that generally led to large-scale data processing of billions of citizens of the world, which is why regulations were needed.
In addition to GIZ, special recognitions were also awarded to USAID, the OSCE Mission to Serbia, the Faculty of Security of the University of Belgrade, and the Propulsion agency.