 At IOM, the responsible collection and processing of personal data are key components of our commitment to facilitate, understand and ensure safe and orderly migration. As the world marks Data Protection Day, we are reminded that these data represent women, men and children who are entitled to the right of privacy even while they are on the move. We are guided in these by IOM's Data Protection Principles, which offer robust safeguards to protect every individual's right to privacy, such as consent, lawfulness, fairness and confidentiality. More than 50 years since the first legislation on data protection in the world was adopted, important questions about how best to protect personal data continue to impact many aspects of our work. We are increasingly reliant on new digital technologies for managing mobility and new digital tools to meet the needs of IOM beneficiaries with speed and efficacy, within IOM programming and also in everyday life. We have seen these most clearly during the current COVID-19 pandemic, with novel digital solutions to manage rapidly evolving health challenges and to continue to provide services while maintaining social distance. It is a challenge. As such, there is a need for strong safeguards aimed at protecting the vast and increasing volume of personal data collected and analyzed through such technologies. IOM continues to advocate for the responsible ethical and lawful handling of personal data. With this in mind, let's raise our awareness and the awareness of those around us when it comes to the importance of privacy and data protection.