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Report on – 33rd IC Resolution 4: Restoring Family Links while respecting privacy, including as it relates to personal data protection (33IC/19/R4) – Austrian Red Cross

Statutory Meetings / 33rd IC Resolution Report / 33rd International Conference / Report on – 33rd IC Resolution 4: Restoring Family Links while respecting privacy, including as it relates to personal data protection (33IC/19/R4) – Austrian Red Cross

  1. Has your State/National Society/Institution incorporated the commitments contained in this resolution into the relevant strategic or operational plans?

    Yes

    The commitments are incorporated into:
    Strategy
    Policy
    Operational plan
    Legislation (e.g. Law, Regulation, Statutes, Rules of Procedure etc.)

    At the International, Regional, National, Local level

    Explanation:

    The resolution and the global RFL Strategy were incorporated in the internal strategy, policy and operational plans of the RFL department and is also reflected in the Austrian Red Cross (ARC) national strategy and also of relevance for all regional branches of the Austrian Red Cross.

    The Austrian Red Cross RFL department continues to actively participate in the global “Implementation Group of the RFL Strategy” and its sub-working groups. In the field of Data Protection, the global “Restoring Family Links Code of Conduct on Data Protection Application Group” has developed standardized data protection templates (information for those searching and consent forms) for the international Restoring Family Links network, which are to be implemented by all National Societies and ICRC delegations by the next International Conference. In January 2023, tracing requests and declarations of consent adapted to data protection law were introduced across the Austrian RC.

  2. Has your State/National Society/Institution been working with other partners to implement the commitments contained in this resolution?

    Yes

    Partner with:
    National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society in your country
    Government and/or public authorities
    ICRC/IFRC
    Other National Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies
    Humanitarian and development partners (e.g. UN, NGOs etc.)

    Examples of cooperation:

    The ARC regularly exchanges and cooperates with Austrian public authorities regarding the issues mentioned in the resolution, which facilitates better access to data and support to our activities of humanitarian advocacy also in the part of family reunification.
    Regular exchange with other partners of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement on the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the resolution, to ensure its successful implementation. have taken place.

  3. Have you encountered any challenges in implementing the commitments contained in this resolution?

    Yes

    With challenges on:
    Other

    Details about challenges:

    The COVID-19 pandemic as well as the cyber-attack on the ICRC’s database posed significant challenges to the implementation of the resolution.

  4. Have the commitments contained in this resolution had an impact on the work and direction of your State/National Society/Institution?

    Yes

    Type of Impact:
    Cooperation between Government/public authorities and National Society has been strengthened
    Programming and operations have become more effective and efficient
    Training and capacity of staff and volunteers has increased (for National Societies)

    Details about the impact:

    Regular exchanges of the Austrian Red Cross with Authorities such as MoI, MoFA and Asylum Authorities and other public authorities strengthened the relationship of the entities.

    The concerned authorities’ general understanding of the RFL-service and its humanitarian mandate has been fostered, case management procedures in terms of asking for and receiving personal data has become more efficient.

    Internal data protection procedures have been improved and updated as a consequence of the implementation of the RFL Code of Conduct globally.

  5. Have the commitments contained in this resolution had an impact on the communities that your State/National Society/Institution serves?

    Yes

    Description of the impact:

    This resolution and its implications have highlighted that the handling of personal data is a fundamental aspect of RFL services. Privacy and data protection are crucial elements in this process. This ultimately establishes and formalizes protective measures for the communities served by the Austrian Red Cross through RFL.

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