By Foday Moriba Conteh
In a bid to give stakeholders the opportunity to peruse the draft documents namely Data Protection Bill, Data Protection Policy and Regulation for their valuable inputs, the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) on Monday 11th October, 2021 held a one day Western Area Stakeholders consultative meeting on the draft Data Protection Bill, Data Protection Policy and Regulation at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown.
The meeting was graced by Ministers of Government, Heads of MDAs, Development Partners, representatives of Civil Society Organizations and the Forth Estate, the Director General of the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) and staff.
Delivering his statement, the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi, described the development of a Data Protection Policy, Bill and Regulation as an interesting one, adding that as they embark on this next step, it is fitting that they take a step back to see how far they have come.
He stated that Sierra Leone, like other countries in Africa, is striving towards instituting a legal mechanism that guarantees the protection of personal data of its people both citizens and foreign residents, furthering that the need for data protection law in Sierra Leone has gained momentum among all sectors of Government and Development Partners as well as foreign residents and Missions whose concern for the privacy and security of their personal data remains strong.
He told those present that President Dr. Julius Maada Bio treats this with serious concern which is why he has made the development of Data Protection Law a priority for his Government.
The Head of NCRA disclosed that with the guidance and leadership of the Ministries of Internal Affairs and Information and Communications, the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), a lead Collector and Custodian of huge personal data, has been working with a number of MDAs and Development Partners to have a law that guides and regulates institutions involved in data collection, storage, usage and sharing which is a fundamental right of everyone.
He also revealed how Cabinet at its business sitting in June this year, further noted the sustained global drive to halt cyber related crimes and data protection gaps coupled with increasing international benchmarks for data protection.
Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi said as a Government, they are aware of very sound data protection laws and Conventions such as the African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection known as the Malabo Convention of 2014 that are useful references for the country’s ongoing move to have a law on data protection law in Sierra Leone.
He informed that is why they are working tirelessly to make sure “the absence of specific legal rules that protect consumers, intellectual property rights, and personal data and information systems” is addressed expeditiously.
He talked about the conscious effort which they have made to consult widely Laws and Conventions of other countries and continent with very good Data Protection legislations in place and now have the responsibility to domesticate it to suit the common purpose.
The NCRA boss said as the first of five Regional Consultations, with the other 4 taking place in Bo, Kenema, Makeni and Port Loko over the next few days, it is his prayer and he is sure the prayer of every well-meaning Sierra Leonean and friend of Sierra Leone that the consultations in the regions will be productive.
The Director General also said they will continue to count on the guidance and leadership of young and talented Ministers to make meaningful inputs, a task, he said that constitutes key deliverables of both Ministries of Internal Affairs and Information and Communication and by extension, the NCRA.
Team Leader-Governance Cluster at UNDP, Kadi Jumu Peters, expressed gratitude for making their inputs into the data Protection Bill, Data Protection Policy and Regulation which strives towards instituting a legal mechanism that guarantees the protection of personal data.
She added that Data Protection Policy and Regulation ensure the security of individuals personal data and regulate the guarantee usage, transfer and disclosure of both citizens and foreign residents’ personal data.
She stated that citizens data is used for the intended purposes it is collected, adding that the data should be handled in a very transparent manner in order to avoid polarization.
Giving his keynote address while launching the meeting, the Minister of Internal Affairs, David Panda-Noah, described the meeting as very important to Government which give access to inclusiveness towards the Data Protection Bill, Data Protection Policy and Regulation in the country.
David Panda-Noah said that as data is becoming more valuable so also opportunities for retrieving different types of personal data, involving extremely fast methods, which expose individuals to the unauthorized use of their personal information, furthering that the personal data of individuals are extremely sensitive and in that regard they must be protected of which he said that the Data Protection Policy and Regulation is a move in the right direction towards the protection of individuals personal data in the country.
