Global CBPR Forum gives recognition of DIFC as Associate Member

The Global CBPR Forum welcomed DIFC, Mauritius and Bermuda as Associates, following the GFA’s endorsement of the Membership Committee’s Recommendation that all three have met the conditions for recognition as an Associate.

The recognition is the result of DIFC’s active and substantive participation in the development of the Forum since its establishment in April 2022, most recently attending workshops hosted by the Personal Information Protection Commission (PPC) in Tokyo, Japan.

As a long-time supporter of alternative, trustworthy data transfer mechanisms, DIFC’s status in the Forum will provide an opportunity to collaborate with other regulatory authorities on the future of secure, international data flows. The CBPRs are a flexible yet robust privacy certification scheme that the Commissioner will adopt in accordance with Article 50(5) of the Data Protection Law, DIFC Law No 5 of 2020 for implementation into the DIFC data protection compliance regime.

Chief Legal Officer of DIFC Authority and DIFC Data Protection Commissioner, Jacques Visser, thanked the GFA leadership, stating, “We are honoured to be recognised by the GFA, especially as DIFC is the first and only jurisdiction in the Middle East to obtain Associate status in the Forum in addition to its acceptance into the Forum’s Global Cooperation Arrangement for Privacy Enforcement (CAPE) in April 2024.

"This milestone echoes our commitment to uphold the highest standards of privacy and data protection in DIFC. We look forward to collaborating with our international partners on this important initiative. As a jurisdiction serving multi-jurisdictional constituents, ensuring the free flow of data whilst ensuring that importers treat it ethically and with care is of vital importance to us.”

The GFA Membership Committee is comprised of original Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Member Economies including Japan, Philippines and Singapore. The Chair of the GFA is held by the United States, represented by Shannon Coe, Director of Global Data Policy in the Office of Global Data Policy and Privacy at the US Department of Commerce International Trade Administration.

The Chair of the Membership Committee is held by Japan, represented by Makiko Tsuda, Director for Coordination on International Digital Policy for the Japanese Commerce and Information Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.