29^th International Conference of Data Protection
and Privacy Commissioners

Welcome Message

It gives me great pleasure to invite you to the 29^th International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners taking place in the beautiful and cosmopolitan city of Montreal from September 25 to 28, 2007.

Our theme, Privacy Horizons: Terra Incognita points to the challenge for us as privacy guardians entering into uncharted territory, to anticipate and plan our readiness to tackle the "unknowns" in our field. Technology and terrorism are transforming the world. Information outsourcing and the exponential growth of transborder data flows as well as illicit data trafficking have become commonplace. Terra Incognita is our chance to assess this shifting privacy landscape and to map out our responsiveness and capacity to address emerging issues that trouble us as privacy professionals.

By bringing together some of the world's foremost data protection experts to boldly chart the challenges ahead, we can explore ways of protecting and enhancing the privacy rights of all people. Thought-provoking workshops and interactive roundtables will plumb the depths of difficult issues such as data mining, authentication and identity management in our volatile, globalized and interconnected world. The emphasis will be on offering practical advice so you can develop your own solutions. Experts will bring forward the latest on new and alarming technologies such as brain scans and smart dust.

As a lead up to Terra Incognita, my colleagues from provincial jurisdictions are hosting three Pre-Conferences which will enhance our program. Dr. Ann Cavoukian, Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner, will host a conference exploring personal health information. Mr. David Loukidelis, British Columbia Information and Privacy Commissioner, along with Mr. Frank Work, Alberta Information and Privacy Commissioner, will host a two-day conference on private sector privacy, while Mr. Loukidelis will also host a two-day conference on the privacy framework adopted by APEC. Meanwhile, Mr. Jacques St-Laurent, Quebec’s President of la Commission d’accès à l’information, will host a conference on data protection in the context of la Francophonie.

I encourage you to explore our conference website as we develop the program and to follow the links for detailed information about the Pre-Conferences.

I look forward to seeing you in the fall of 2007 for what I guarantee will be a memorable event.

Warmest Regards,

Jennifer Stoddart
Privacy Commissioner of Canada

The Conference Organizers would like to recognize the following Supporters of TERRA INCOGNITA: