 Today, January 28th, IOM joins the rest of the world in celebrating Data Protection Day. The COVID-19 pandemic is taking place at a time when the global usage and availability of data and increased digitalization are at unprecedented level. The protection of personal data is important to IOM, and it is paramount to the respect of human dignity and the right to privacy. A fundamental human right of all individuals, including migrants and people on the move, who often find themselves in particularly difficult and vulnerable situations. The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the world in previously unimaginable ways. Even though the pandemic is first and foremost a health issue, it is also having an unprecedented impact on human mobility and at the same time, on protection of personal data of people on the move. IOM has advocated since the beginning of the pandemic for a COVID-19 response that ensures that the needs of migrants and all those on the move are taken into consideration. While the responsible use of new digital technology has great potential to facilitate and widen access to safe, orderly and regular global mobility, this is predicated on effective protection of personal data. New digital solutions are available, but this exacerbates risks to privacy for mobile people. The use of new technology is such as contact tracing applications as an effective tool for understanding and controlling the spread of the virus, as well as the potential of globally trusted vaccination certificates, he raises raising important questions. It is imperative that the management of data be responsible, in line with international data protection standards, applicable data protection laws and ethical considerations, and that the use of new technologies is based on data protection by design and by default. IOM will continue to place data protection at a central place in the provision of its protection and assistance work. I urge everyone to act in the same direction.