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Backgrounder

The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) recognize the benefits of coordinating their efforts to ensure efficient and effective review. As such, NSIRA and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) have implemented a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), setting out the parameters for future coordination between them.

NSIRA has the legal authority to coordinate its activities with those of the Privacy Commissioner under s.15.1 of the NSIRA Act, and to this end, may provide the Privacy Commissioner with information concerning its reviews. The Privacy Commissioner has the corresponding legal authority to coordinate his activities with those of NSIRA under s. 37(5) of the Privacy Act and may provide information to NSIRA pursuant to subsection 64(3) of the Privacy Act.

The MOU clearly defines the objectives and procedures for ongoing coordination, defines roles and responsibilities for joint reviews and investigations, and sets out the parameters for information management, reporting and administration. Implementing this MOU will enable NSIRA and the OPC to benefit from each other’s expertise and provide transparency on their coordination efforts.