CEDIS (Center for Law, Internet and Society), of the Brazilian Institute of Teaching, Development and Research (IDP), in partnership with the Internet Steering Committee in Brazil (CGI.br), held a special event on November 6th to mark the launch of the Danilo Doneda International Chair, in recognition of the professor's contributions in the area of fundamental rights, data protection and privacy.
Professor Danilo Doneda has been present in the most important debates on law and technology for the past twenty years, and has left a solid legacy for law, being recognized as one of the forerunners and leading exponents in the area of privacy and data protection in Brazil and the world. Professor Danilo was one of the creators of CEDIS and played an important role in the success of the Internet Governance School (EGI), an initiative of CGI.br, participating in the faculty of its intensive course since its first edition and collaborating with some of the EGI courses, especially those aimed at authorities of the Judiciary.
The opening panel was composed of influential figures representing the different roles of Professor Danilo Doneda as an academic, facilitator, and promoter of ideas:
- Gilmar Mendes, Minister of the Supreme Federal Court and Professor at IDP
- Edson Fachin, Minister of the Supreme Federal Court and Professor at UFPR
- Ricardo Villas Bôas CaveMinister of the Superior Court of Justice
- Hartmut Glaser, Executive Secretary of CGI.br
- Orlando SilvaFederal Deputy
- Laura Schertel MendesProfessor at IDP and Director of CEDIS/IDP
- Luciana Cabral Doneda, relative of the honored professor
In his speech, Minister Gilmar Mendes explained how "Danilo Doneda played an unparalleled role in the creation of several national laws, such as the Marco Civil da Internet (Brazilian Internet Bill of Rights), the efforts to regulate the processing of personal data within the scope of public security, and – most notably – the Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais (Brazilian General Data Protection Law) itself."
Minister Edson Fachin pointed out how Danilo Doneda "knew how to capture in the legal protection of personal data the refined Italian doctrine and the constitutional primacy in Private Law and throughout Public Law in Brazil as a phenomenon that represented an evolution as a method in doctrine, in the courts and in postgraduate research in Law."
Minister Ricardo Villas Bôas Cueva highlighted that Professor Doneda was “much more than a jurist and academic. He was a true architect of our General Data Protection Law, the LGPD, whose impact daily transforms how our data and our privacy are handled and respected.”
Luciana Cabral Doneda, representing the family of Professor Danilo Doneda, emphasized that all of Danilo's academic work was strongly marked by affection and his passion for the topic of personal data protection.
The Executive Secretary of CGI.br, Hartmut Glaser, and the Director of CEDIS and Professor at IDP, Laura Schertel Mendes, explained the activities of the International Chair, a result of the partnership between the institutions. With academic aims, the Chair seeks to contribute to the field of Digital Law, deepening the national debate on topics related to technological transformations in the legal sphere and their implications for society. The Chair will annually host visits from international professors, seeking to promote the exchange of experiences and knowledge between foreign universities and the Brazilian academic community, and will include a legal course from the Internet Governance School in Brazil.
In the second part of the event, the professor Benedikt BuchnerProfessor [Name], from the University of Augsburg, Germany, was the keynote speaker, addressing the complexities of "Privacy, data protection, and artificial intelligence" in a lecture that explored the ethical and legal implications of these topics in the digital context. The topic was discussed by Professor [Name]. Ingo Wolfgang Sarlet (PUC/RS), moderated by Laura Schertel Mendes, professor at IDP and director of CEDIS/IDP.
Next, the panel "Digital Governance in the Age of AI: Pathways to an Inclusive, Secure, and Sustainable Internet" moderate by Victor Oliveira Fernandes, advisor to CADE and professor at IDP, brought together experts from various fields to discuss the paths of digital governance in Brazil:
- Miriam Wimmer, Director of ANPD and Professor at IDP
- John Brant, Secretary of SECOM, Presidency of the Republic
- Bianca Kremer, Advisor to CGI.br
- Flávia Lefèvre, Associate consultant at the NUPEF Institute, represented by Luiza Mesquita, Coordinator of Internet Governance Training at CGI.br
To conclude, the event paid tribute to Professor Danilo Doneda with a panel discussion reflecting on the legacy of his work and his contributions to the protection of fundamental rights in the digital realm. Moderated by Professor [Name not provided]. Monica Fujimoto (IDP), the panel featured renowned professionals and Professor Danilo's daughter, Dora Doneda:
- Bia Barbosa, Advisor to CGI.br
- Bruno Bioni, Founding Director of Data Privacy Brazil
- Carlos Afonso Souza, Director of ITS/Rio and Professor at UERJ
- Fabricio da Mota Alves, Lawyer specializing in data protection
- Dora Doneda, relative of Professor Danilo Doneda
By bringing together experts and authorities in a debate on future guidelines for data protection and digital governance, the Danilo Doneda International Chair lays the groundwork for continuing the professor's legacy, which is essential for guaranteeing fundamental rights in Brazil and in the digital world.
