News release

Privacy Commissioner of Canada elected to lead international forum of data protection authorities

September 19, 2025

Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne has been elected Chair of the Global Privacy Assembly, a leading international forum for data protection and privacy authorities.

The Commissioner was elected to the two-year term by the Assembly’s members during its 47th annual conference, which took place this week in Seoul, South Korea. The Global Privacy Assembly is comprised of more than 130 data protection and privacy authorities and many observers from around the world and provides international leadership in data protection and privacy.

This is the first time that the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has been elected Chair of the Assembly since its inception in 1979. 

Commissioner Dufresne’s vision as Chair centres around collaboration on three main themes: addressing the privacy impacts of technology, championing youth privacy, and advancing data free flow with trust.

“Privacy is a global issue requiring global leadership. As personal information flows across borders at unprecedented volumes and speed, working together with domestic and international partners and stakeholders has never been more important,” says Commissioner Dufresne.

“This is a pivotal moment for privacy in Canada and around the world. I look forward to working with all the members of the Global Privacy Assembly. By prioritizing collaboration and leveraging our combined capabilities, resources, and expertise, we can maximize our collective efforts to shape a future where innovation can flourish, privacy rights are respected, and trust is reinforced.”

Read Commissioner Dufresne’s Statement on his election as Chair of the Global Privacy Assembly. 

47th annual conference highlights

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) has taken an active role in the work of the Global Privacy Assembly since its inception, including by chairing or serving on its various working groups.

The theme of this year’s conference was “Artificial intelligence in our daily lives: Data and privacy issues.”  

As a member of the Assembly’s Working Group on Ethics and Data Protection in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Commissioner Dufresne was the authoring sponsor of a resolution on human oversight of decisions involving AI. The resolution calls on organizations that use AI to make decisions to adopt technologies and processes that allow for meaningful human oversight, particularly when those decisions could impact an individual’s fundamental rights and freedoms.

Assembly members also endorsed resolutions related to the use of personal information to train AI models, and data privacy in digital education.

In addition, Commissioner Dufresne joined other data protection authorities in signing a joint statement on trustworthy data governance for AI that calls for data protection principles to be incorporated into the design of AI systems and for the establishment of robust data governance structures. Twenty data protection authorities have now signed the joint statement.

During the conference, Commissioner Dufresne participated in three panel discussions which addressed issues related to expanding interoperability in cross-border data transfers, choosing the right enforcement tools for conducting effective investigations, and developing mechanisms for regulatory cooperation and collaboration.

Commissioner Dufresne, as Chair of the Global Privacy Assembly Working Group on Data Protection and Other Rights and Freedoms, also launched a call for nominations for the 2026 Privacy and Human Rights Award, which the Global Privacy Assembly presents in collaboration with the global human rights organization Access Now. The award recognizes organizations that have demonstrated outstanding leadership or initiative in advancing and supporting the protection and promotion of the fundamental right to privacy and other human rights.

The Commissioner also signed an updated Memorandum of Understanding with the United Kingdom Information Commissioner’s Office. The memorandum reflects recent technological and legal developments and sets out a framework for cooperation and information sharing. Earlier this year, the two offices conducted a joint investigation into a global data breach at 23andMe.

Related links

• Statement by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada on election as Chair of the Global Privacy Assembly
• News release: Global Privacy Assembly launches call for nominations for 2026 Privacy and Human Rights Award
• Memorandum of Understanding between the Information Commissioner for the United Kingdom and the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
• Joint statement on building trustworthy data governance frameworks to encourage development of innovative and privacy-protective AI

Media contact

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
communications@priv.gc.ca