The Global CBPR Forum has endorsed DIFC for recognition as an Associate Member.

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has been recognized as an Associate Member by the Global Forum Assembly (GFA). The Global CBPR Forum has welcomed DIFC, Mauritius, and Bermuda as Associates based on the Membership Committee’s Recommendation, as all three have met the conditions for recognition as an Associate.

This recognition is a result of DIFC’s active and substantive participation in the development of the Forum. DIFC has recently attended 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.

Jacques Visser, Chief Legal Officer of DIFC Authority and DIFC Data Protection Commissioner, expressed gratitude to the GFA leadership, stating, “We are honored to be recognized 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 underscores our commitment to upholding the highest standards of privacy and data protection in DIFC."

The GFA Membership Committee comprises original Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Member Economies, including Japan, the 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.