The European conference "Data protection and right to privacy for marginalised groups: a new challenge in anti-trafficking policies" focused on data protection as a new challenge in anti-trafficking policies in the digital age. Participants from 15 countries exchanged experiences on relevant topics, including data collection procedures and victim’s protection, European data protection developments and the rights of marginalised populations, counseling centres and National Rapporteur mechanisms, and the right to privacy for trafficked persons.

Below, you find a selection of the presentations held at the conference. As simultaneous translation was offered during the conference, the presentations are only available in either German or English.

Wednesday 25.9.2013

Opening

Ulrike Hiller, State Secretary, Bremen
Bärbel Heide Uhl: Introducing datACT

Panel discussion: Data protection, human rights and anti-trafficking politics: a new challenge in the digital age?

Gulnara Shahinian, UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery: Data Protection and right to privacy of marginalized groups
Thilo Weichert, data protection commissioner Schleswig-Holstein, Germany:  Datenschutz, Menschenrechte und die Politik zur Bekämpfung des Menschenhandels: eine Herausforderung im digitalen Zeitalter
Marjan Wijers, independent human rights and anti-trafficking specialist, The Netherlands: Where do all the data go? European data protection law and the protection of personal data of trafficked persons

Moderator: Ulrike Gatzke, Member of the European Commission’s Group of Experts on Trafficking in Human Beings

Thursday 26.9.2013

Keynote

Claudia Aradau, King’s College London, Department of War Studies: "Acting on the future: human trafficking and preventive logics"

Panel I: European data protection developments and the rights of marginalised populations

Julia Planitzer, Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights: Art. 11 Council of Europe Convention ‘Protection of Private Life’
Maria Giovanna Manieri, PICUM: EUROSUR, surveillance technologies and migrants rights

Moderator: Susanne Schatral, University of Bremen

Panel II: Between access to support and ‘dataveillance’: data collection, identification of trafficked persons and the right to privacy

Jan van Dijk, Tilburg University, Member of GRETA: Towards common standards in statistics on human trafficking in the EU
Bas de Visser, CoMensha: Data collection and the obligation to confidentiality for NGO counselors
Lucie Otáhalová, La Strada Czech Republic: Challenges in data protection for counseling centres
Naile Taniş, KOK: Data collection in Germany from a civil society perspective
Maya Indira Ganesh, Tactical Technology Collective: Monitoring the abuse of power through social media

Moderator: Suzanne Hoff, La Strada International

Friday 27.9.2013

Panel III: National Rapporteur or Equivalent Mechanisms (NREM): good practices in data protection

Corinne Dettmeijer-Vermeulen, Dutch National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings: The Dutch Rapporteur Mechanism
Rita Penedo, Observatory Portugal: Towards a Pan-European monitoring system of trafficking in human beings
Nadia Kozhouharova, Animus/La Strada Bulgaria: Role of civil society in data collection in Bulgaria
Birgit Schweikert, Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth: State of art of a German Rapporteur mechanism

Moderator: Jacqueline Berman, Mathematica Policy Research

Panel IV: Right to privacy for marginalised groups? Strategies and challenges

Marieke van Doorninck, La Strada International: Civil society and critical anti-trafficking discourses in Europe
Alexander Dix, Berlin data protection commissioner: Adjusting Privacy by Design and Privacy Impact Assessment for anti-trafficking measures
padeluun, Digital Courage: Alliances for data protection
Werner Hülsmann, FIfF e.V.: Civil society alliances for strengthening data protection in Europe

Moderator: Klára Skřivánková, Anti-Slavery International

The European NGO initiative datACT – data protection in anti-trafficking action published the practical guide "Data Protection Challenges in Anti-Trafficking Policies".

The publication offers an overview of the relevant European data protection provisions, a methodology to conduct privacy impact assessments for anti-trafficking NGO service providers, an analysis for the privacy rights claims for trafficked persons, and data protection standards for NGO service providers. Moreover, the study contains an elaboration of legal arguments that lead in 2013 to the failure of mandatory registration of sex workers in the Netherlands.

Study as PDF >

Printed copies in German and English could be ordered at info(at)kok-buero.de (nominal charge 3€).

The purpose of the draft standards is to provide guidance to anti-trafficking NGOs, including counselling centres to protect privacy rights of trafficked persons.

It aims at setting a framework of action to evaluate, monitor and initiate data protection impacts in the daily counselling work as well as to assist establishing a long-term data protection strategy in anti-trafficking action by NGOs. The draft standards are a ‘living document’ and open for feedback by practitioners.

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