Taiwan has become one of the founding members of the United States-led Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) Forum established to promote trusted global data flows, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced Thursday.
Taiwan, under the name Chinese Taipei, joined other APEC members including, the U.S., Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and the Philippines, in establishing the forum, the ministry said in a press release.
According to a Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Declaration jointly issued Thursday by the seven APEC members, the establishment of the Global CBPR Forum is meant to promote "interoperability and help bridge different regulatory approaches to data protection and privacy."
In a press release, U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo said the establishment of the Global CBPR Forum "reflects the beginning of a new era of multilateral cooperation in promoting trusted global data flows that are critically important to our modern economy."
"The Global CBPR Forum intends to establish the Global Cross Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) and Privacy Recognition for Processors (PRP) Systems, first-of-their-kind data privacy certifications that help companies demonstrate compliance with internationally recognized data privacy standards," Raimondo was quoted as saying in the statement.
The new forum will also facilitate trade and international data flows and promote global cooperation, she added.
"With this unique approach founded on creating practical compliance tools and based on cooperation, we can make the digital economy work for consumers and businesses of all sizes alike," she said.
In a separate press release, Taiwan's National Development Council (NDC) said the government has designated the Institute for Information Industry as the Accountability Agent responsible for the promotion of the Global CBPR.
The institute has now officially begun to accept applications from local companies to become certified in the CBPR system.
According to the NDC, it is expected that the Global CBPR Forum will become an international corporate entity with a physical secretariat by the end of this year.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel