HIDE – Homeland Security, Biometric Identification & Personal Detection Ethics

Problem Solving Workshops

are designed to bring together individuals from different groups in a "safe" environment to address questions which are otherwise difficult to discuss in more formal or structured settings. While the participants may or may not occupy official positions – it is hoped that they might influence policy decisions in a variety of ways. Workshops aim to strengthen the perception that further dialogue among the participants is going to be fruitful and conversation is worth pursuing. Problem solving workshops are thus designed to reach two parallel and coordinated results:

1. First, they should encourage an analytical approach to joint problem solving that will be conducive to the emergence of creative win-win solutions
2. Second, they should also alter and combat stereotyped, negative, and rigid images thereby paving the way for a constructive approach to debated issues.

HIDE organized two workshops of which one is upcoming in Ljubljana and the other took place in July 2009 in Singapore:

1. Restrictions in the Implementation of EU Data Protection Directive for Public Interest, Security and Defense
   • September 17-18, 2009 in Ljubljana Grand Hotel Union – Hotel and Conference Centre

     The aim of this workshop is to bring together representatives from the European government and non-government organisations, with the emphasis on the Balkan region and the New Meber States, to identify and discuss issues related to restrictions in the implementation of EU data protection principles. The workshop topics include but are not limited to:

     • The circumstances that may lead to the restriction of EU data-protection principles
     • The impact of counter-terrorist border-control legislative measures on privacy protection
     • The application of the principle of proportionality in the restriction of data-protection rights
     • The implementation of harmonizing practices in the New Member and Balkan States

     The workshop is hosted and organized by the Laboratory of Artificial Perception, Systems and Cybernetics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana.

     Brochure of the workshop and Agenda

     Relevant Documents

     Workshop Report
     The book of speaker biographies and talk abstracts

     Brokerage Event

     The International Workshop on Restrictions in the Implementation of EU Data Protection Directive for Public Interest, Security and Defence, organized in the context of the project HIDE – Homeland Security, Biometrics Identification & Personal Detection Ethics funded by the European Commission brings together stakeholders of the areas biometrics, data protection and privacy as well as security. Public institutions, research organizations as well as companies will represent their branches. This is a good opportunity to discuss current open issues within the mentioned areas.

     For this reason the project HIDE organizes a Brokerage Event during the Workshop. It takes place in parallel to the Workshop on Friday, September 18, 2009 and is free of charge. It is possible to only participate in the Brokerage Event. Please register informally by sending an email to Nicolas Delveaux and Alexander Nouak

     For more information about the workshop and how to participate please contact Mr Simon Dobrišek by email or by phone under +386 1 4768 839

2. International Data Sharing and Biometric Identification – The Ethical Issues in an Asian and International Context
   • July 2-3, 2009 in Singapore

     The intention of this workshop is to create a forum for an international dialogue between Europe, US, Asia and APEC on the different technical, legal and ethical issues on privacy arising from the use of personal detection technologies, such as biometrics, for surveillance and security purposes.
     The aim of this one and a half day workshop is to identify and discuss some of the challenges these issues raise for transatlantic and international data sharing and the existing privacy frameworks, such as the APEC Privacy framework and the EU Directive on Data Protection. There will be special attention paid to different perceptions of privacy and surveillance in an Asian context and the issue of transparency and trust in transatlantic data sharing.
     The workshop is organized by The Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore in close cooperation with the EU project coordinator at the Centre for Science, Society and Citizenship, as part of the HIDE project.

     Leaflet of the workshop and Registration Form

     Relevant Documents

     Workshop Report
     Overview of sessions and working questions

     Abstracts of the presentations

     Presentation by Ruth Chadwick
     Presentation by Benedicte Havelange
     Presentation by Malcolm Crompton
     Presentation by Abu Bakar Bin Munir
     Presentation by Tom Sorell
     Presentation by Terence Sim
     Presentation by David Zhang
     Presentation by Vinayak Godse
     Presentation by Eric Yap

     Short Biographies of speakers and chairs