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Here are some links to interesting resources and information about Data Protection and IGO’s
EDPS and International Organisations
The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) is only competent for institutions, bodies and agencies of the European Union.
We have no supervisory competence over other international organisations.
European Data Protection Authority
EDPS
The EDPS explains that this is because agreements international organisations have with their host states usually grant them certain privileges and immunities. These often exclude the application of national law to the international organisation. This means that national data protection authorities also do not have authorit over IGO’s. Many international organisations have set up their own data protection rules and data protection officers / data protection functions.
EDPS comments on data protection in International organisations – 2018
“Though they may be exempt from national laws, including those relating to data protection, international organisations are influential advocates for the development of a privacy culture.
Their position means that they are able to spread knowledge about data protection and privacy in parts of the world where, for various reasons, it has not necessarily been high on the agenda.”
Wojciech Wiewiórowski EDPS 2018
Free tools and resources
EDPS contact list of data protection officers of some international organisations.
The EDPS (European Data Protection Supervisior) maintains a contact list for the data protection officers of some international organisations and IGO’s because they have no supervisory competence over other international organisations.
OECD work on privacy
Since the mid-1970s, the OECD has played an important role in promoting respect for privacy as a fundamental value and a condition for the free flow of personal data across borders.
Council of Europe (CoE) Convention 108 and Protocols
The Council of Europe (CoE) is an international organisation founded to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it has 47 member states, with a population of approximately 820 million.
The “Convention for the Protection of Individuals with Regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data” (Convention 108) is a 1981 Council of Europe treaty that protects the right to privacy of individuals, taking account of the increasing flow across frontiers of personal data undergoing automatic processing.
All members of the Council of Europe have ratified the treaty. Being non–Council of Europe states, Argentina, Cabo Verde, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, and Uruguay have acceded to the treaty.
Union of International Associations IGO search
You can I search various IGO websites in one place.
The Union of International Organisations (UIA) provides this IGO search which allows you to search the websites of all intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), comprising over 3000 bodies including the United Nations, the European Commission, the World Bank, CERN, ESA, EMBL, ESO etc.