The Information and Data Protection Commissioner’s Office organized a two-day “Training of Trainers” (ToT) training on June 26-27. The activity brought together professionals from public institutions and private companies to prepare them as the first national trainers in the field of personal data protection.
The training was organized within the framework of the “SafeData Albania” project, implemented in cooperation with the Albanian Sustainable Development Organization (ASDO) with the support of the SMART Balkans program, funded by the Government of Norway.
The program aims to build a national network of certified trainers who will train Data Protection Officers (DPOs), in the implementation of new legal requirements, harmonized with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
In his closing speech, Commissioner Mr. Besnik Dervishi emphasized the importance of developing such trainings in the context of the new law no. 124/2024, underlining that the Data Protection Officer is no longer simply a formal role, but a key element for the real implementation of data protection standards and the principle of accountability.
“This training takes on even greater importance in the context of the adoption of Law No. 124/2024 “On Protection of Personal Data”, which marks a new stage in the protection of the fundamental rights of citizens in Albania.
One of the most significant innovations brought by this law is the consolidation of the role of the Data Protection Officer, who is no longer simply a formal figure next to the controller and processor, but becomes a key actor for the practical implementation of legal requirements by them and is a clear indicator of the implementation of the principle of accountability. This is a sensitive role, which requires in-depth knowledge, continuous professional updating and above all, high ethical standards at work. In this context, investment in their professional preparation and training is a necessity”, said Mr. Dervishi.
The training included advanced topics such as: the role and responsibilities of DPOs, risk management and data processing auditing, dealing with security breaches, preparing privacy policies and managing citizen requests.
During the training, Dott.ssa Elisabetta Stringhi, an expert from the Italian Data Protection Authority, shared practical experiences and advanced approaches from the implementation of the GDPR in Italy.
This training marks, the beginning of building a professional infrastructure that will guarantee a more secure, sustainable and European implementation of privacy rights in Albania.
