On 4-6 November 2009, the 31^st International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners took place in Madrid. This year’s event, being the largest forum dedicated to privacy, was organised by the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD). The Conference gathered the representatives of authorities responsible for guaranteeing privacy and data protection from 46 countries, as well as representative of private organisations – mainly large multinationals and companies in the technology sector – experts on the subject from every continent, as well as representatives of international institutions and representatives of civil society.

Under the slogan “Privacy: today is tomorrow”, the 31^st International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Authorities was structured in 6 plenary sessions and 12 parallel sessions, during which more than 90 speakers from the political, technological, business and institutional sphere on an international scale tackled the issues currently forming the object of debate on the subject of privacy and data protection.

One of the main objectives of the International Conference was the adoption of the International Standards on the Protection of Privacy with regard to the processing of Personal Data, which constitute the basis for the development of a universal and binding legal instrument to guarantee privacy in a globalised world, an initiative that has recently received the support of the Council of Europe.

For more information on the 31^st International Conference and the adopted documents visit the official Conference website: http://www.privacyconference2009.org.