Government launches International Data Transfer Expert Council 
Melanie May | 26 January 2022 | News
The Council will provide advice on cross-border data flows now that the country has left the EU.
The International Data Transfer Expert Council met for the first time yesterday to discuss international data sharing. It comprises 20 representatives from a variety of fields including Google, Mastercard, Microsoft, the World Economic Forum, and the Future of Privacy Forum.
The Government says the Council will meet quarterly and give independent advice on the development of new international data transfer tools and mechanisms and securing new data adequacy partnerships with other countries.
Advertisement
Now that the UK has left the EU, the government hopes to strike deals on personal data transfers with key trading partners around the world. The government has outlined the first countries with which it will prioritise partnerships, including the United States, Australia, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Dubai International Finance Centre and Colombia.
According to the government, experts on the council have been selected ‘from civil society, academia and industry around the world, with their experience covering a range of areas including patient healthcare, scientific research, artificial intelligence and finance.’ The full list of members is below.
At the launch, Data Minister Julia Lopez said:
“Realising the benefits of international data flows has never been more important. We want the UK to drive forward cutting-edge policies at home and overseas to ensure people, businesses and economies benefit from safe and secure data flows.
“Today we’re launching a new panel of global experts to help us achieve these aims and I will lead the first meeting so together we can deliver a world-leading and truly global data policy for the future.”
The launch of the council is part of the government’s National Data Strategy to harness the power of data to boost economic growth, create jobs and deliver new innovations for people and public services.
Members of the International Data Transfer Expert Council are:
- Anne Josephine Flanagan – Data Policy and Governance Lead, World Economic Forum
- Bojana Bellamy – President, Centre for Information Policy Leadership
- Caitlin Fennessy – Vice President and Chief Knowledge Officer, International Association of Privacy Professionals
- Caroline Louveaux – Chief Privacy Officer, Mastercard
- Christopher Calabrese – Senior Director, Privacy and Data Policy, Microsoft
- Dr Clarisse Girot – Asia Pacific Director, Future of Privacy Forum
- Eduardo Ustaran – Partner and Global co-head, Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice, Hogan Lovells
- Professor Elizabeth Coombs – Associate Professor, University of Malta, and Chair, International Committee, Australian Privacy Foundation
- Fergus Allan Cloughley – CEO and Director, Obashi Technology Limited
- Dr Isaac Rutenberg – Senior Lecturer and Director, Centre for Intellectual Property and IT Law, Strathmore University, Kenya
- João Barreiro – Chief Privacy Officer, BeiGene
- Kate Charlet – Director for Data Governance, Google
- Professor Neena Modi – Professor of Neonatal Medicine (Imperial College London), and Consultant in Neonatal Medicine (NHS)
- Nigel Cory – Associate Director, Trade Policy, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
- Richard Ward – Government Relations Director, IBM
- Ruth Boardman – Partner and co-head, International Privacy and Data Protection Group, Bird & Bird
- Théodore Christakis – Professor of International and European Law (Université Grenoble Alpes), and Senior Fellow (Cross-Border Data Forum)
- Thomas Boue – Director General of Policy (EMEA), BSA The Software Alliance
- Vivienne Artz – Chair of the Data Working Group of the International Regulatory Strategy Group (IRSG), and NED and Vice Chair of the Risk Committee for Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF)
- Dr Wai Kuan Hon – Of Counsel, Dentons
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.