Semlex Ivory Coast recently had the honor of participating in a workshop dedicated to the implementation of the law on the protection of personal data in Ivory Coast. This event, organized by the Authority for the Regulation of Information and Communication Technologies (ARTCI), took place from Tuesday, October 3rd, to Thursday, October 5th, 2023, at the ONYX Hotel in Yamoussoukro.

The workshop was organized to commemorate the 10th anniversary of data protection in Ivory Coast, marking a decade of efforts to ensure the safeguarding of citizens’ personal data. The objective of this event was to scrutinize the entire legal and regulatory framework, along with all decisions pertaining to data protection in Ivory Coast.

The protection of personal data holds paramount significance for Semlex Ivory Coast, as a company committed to respecting privacy and data security. Our data protection officer actively joined other industry professionals in sharing insights, best practices, and crucial knowledge regarding data protection in Ivory Coast, with the aim of amending the existing law.

Context and Justification

Regulations concerning personal data in Ivory Coast are situated within an international and regional context, significantly influenced by the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and ECOWAS. The Madrid Resolution of the Global Privacy Assembly, an international association of data protection authorities, provides a set of principles, rights, obligations, and procedures that every legal system for personal data protection should strive to adhere to.

In 2013, Ivory Coast transposed these principles into national law with Law No. 2013-450 dated June 19, 2013, relating to the protection of personal data. This law, complemented by implementing decrees, established the legal framework for the processing of personal data in Ivory Coast in accordance with international standards.

However, the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe in 2016 had a significant impact on the regulation of personal data in Africa, including Ivory Coast, due to its extraterritorial nature. The application of these various legal texts encountered certain realities that necessitate ongoing adaptation to ensure effective regulation in compliance with international standards.

Future Outlook

ARTCI has taken the initiative to convene stakeholders to contemplate the implementation of the law regarding the protection of personal data in Ivory Coast. This workshop thus gathered a substantial number of dynamic actors in the field of personal data protection and active data protection correspondents. In this context, the data protection officer of our subsidiary, Semlex Ivory Coast, actively participated in workshops and forums to provide practical contributions to pertinent recommendations, with a view to envisioning future perspectives aimed at aligning the regulation of personal data with international standards. As a reminder, as part of our commitment to the proper handling of personal data, our subsidiary, Semlex Ivory Coast, obtained an authorization decision from ARTCI for the processing of personal data, as required for all companies handling such data.

Through its professional data management activities, Semlex is particularly engaged in contributing to discussions and forums aimed at enhancing personal data protection in Ivory Coast and in all the countries where it operates. We eagerly anticipate future developments in this critical field for the privacy and data security of citizens.