Policy on APPA Sessions and Attendees

At the 46th APPA Forum members adopted a proposal to introduce a members-only session into the APPA Forums, and instructed the Secretariat to prepare a policy setting out the types of sessions at APPA Forums and to circulate that policy to APPA members.

Types of Sessions

1. Three types of sessions may be held at each APPA Forum: “members-only”, “closed”, and “broader” sessions.

Members-only session

2. The “members-only” session is attended by APPA members only.
3. The agenda items of the members-only session include the following:
   • Approving minutes from the previous Forum;
   • Reports or sharing from the APPA Governance Committee or any of the APPA Working Groups (e.g. the APPA Communications Working Group, and the APPA Technology Working Group);
   • Members’ reports: jurisdiction (and enforcement) reports, data breach notification reports, and special reports;
   • Invited guests: speakers invited to address APPA members only. Invited guests will arrive at the time of their presentation and stay for the related discussion;
   • Discretionary items as proposed by Members to the Host or Secretariat, e.g. a report back on a joint investigation being conducted by APPA members;
   • Discussion finalizing the Communiqué;
   • Hosts of future APPA Forums;
   • the APPA Forum group photo; and
   • Items as recommended to the Host by the Governance Committee.
4. A case-by-case exception may be made for a privacy or data protection authority to attend the members-only session or for an invitee from the private sector, government, academia, and/or civil society to attend the members-only session. This exception will be applied on agreement by the Governance Committee, in consultation with the Host, and with the approval of APPA members. No indication of objection will be deemed as approval.The Host extends the invitation to the invitee to attend the members-only session as an Observer and communicates to the invitee that this engagement includes only observation (unless the invitee is invited to speak).
5. “A privacy or data protection authority” means an accredited member of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA), or a participant in the APEC Cross-border Privacy Enforcement Arrangement (CPEA), or a member of the Global Privacy Enforcement Network (GPEN).

The closed session

6. The closed session is attended by APPA Members and invited privacy and data protection authorities. The session consists of agenda items that may be of shared interest to privacy and data protection authorities who attend as Guests and participate actively in the discussions.The Host extends the invitation to attend the closed session to a privacy or data protection authority and communicates to the invitee that they are invited to participate fully in the session.
7. The agenda items for the closed session include:
   • International Developments;
   • Guest speakers where APPA members benefit from a privacy or data protection authority-only discussion;
   • Reports from APPA members where the members may benefit from input from non-member privacy and data-protection authorities; and
   • Items as recommended to the Host by the Governance Committee.
8. A case-by-case exception may be made to invite an actor from the private sector, government, academia, and/or civil society to the closed session as an Observer. This exception will be applied on agreement by the Governance Committee, in consultation with the Host, and will approval of APPA members. No indication of objection will be deemed as approval.The Host extends the invitation to an invitee to attend a closed session as an Observer and will communicate that this engagement includes only observation (unless the invitee is invited to speak).

The broader session

9. 9. The broader session is attended by APPA Members and Guests from privacy or data protection authorities or from government, the private sector, academia, and/or civil society. All Guests may participate actively in the broader session.The Host extends the invitation to invitees to attend the broader session and will communicate that they are invited to participate in the discussions.
   10. Invitees to the APPA Forum will participate in sessions in accordance with whether they are a Member, Observer or Guest for that session:
       • APPA Members – APPA Members are privacy or data protection authorities that have joined APPA.
       • APPA Observers – APPA Observers are invitees to the members-only and/or closed session at which they may observe but not participate (unless they are invited to speak or are a guest speaker). This may include a privacy or data protection authority exceptionally invited to attend the members-only session, or an invitee from the private sector, government, academia, and/or civil society exceptionally invited to attend the members-only or closed session.
       • APPA Guests – APPA Guests are invitees to the closed and/or broader session in which they may participate fully in the discussions. This includes privacy or data protection authorities invited to attend the closed and/or broader session, or an invitee from the private sector, government, academia, and/or civil society invited to attend the broader session.

The table below summarizes the types of sessions at APPA Forums and levels of participation by invitees.

9. All panels or moderated sessions at APPA Forums will be moderated by APPA members, including in the broader sessions. The Host will identify moderators for sessions in consultation with the Governance Committee.