CEDIS (Center for Law, Internet and Society), from the Brazilian Institute of Education, 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 over the last twenty years in the most important debates on law and technology, and has left a solid legacy for law, being recognized as one of the precursors and greatest 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 School of Internet Governance (EGI), an initiative of CGI.br, participating since the first edition of the faculty of its intensive course and collaborating with some of the courses of EGI, especially those aimed at authorities of the Judiciary. 

The opening panel was made up of influential names that represent Professor Danilo Doneda's different roles as an academic, articulator and promoter of ideas:

• Gilmar Mendes , Minister of the Federal Supreme Court and Professor at IDP
• Edson Fachin , Minister of the STF and Professor at UFPR
• Ricardo Villas Bôas Cueva , Minister of the STJ
• Hartmut Glaser , Executive Secretary of CGI.br
• Orlando Silva , Federal Deputy
• Laura Schertel Mendes , Professor at IDP and Director of CEDIS/IDP
• Luciana Cabral Doneda , family member of the honored professor

In his speech, Minister Gilmar Mendes explained how “Danilo Doneda had an incomparable role in the construction of several national diplomas, such as the Marco Civil da Internet, the moves to regulate the processing of personal data within the scope of public security and – in absolute prominence – the General Personal Data Protection Law itself”.

Minister Edson Fachin pointed out how Danilo Doneda “knew how to photograph in the legal protection of personal data the refined Italian doctrine and the constitutional primacy in Private Law and in all 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 Personal Data Protection Law, the LGPD, whose impact daily transforms the way our data and privacy are treated and respected.”

Luciana Cabral Doneda, representing Professor Danilo Doneda's family, emphasized that Danilo's entire academic performance 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 how the activities of the International Chair will be, the result of the partnership between the institutions. For academic purposes, the Chair aims to contribute to the field of Digital Law, to deepen the national debate on topics related to the transformations of technology in the legal sphere and their implications for society. The Chair will receive annual visits from international professors, seeking to promote the exchange of experiences and knowledge between foreign universities and the Brazilian academic community and will feature a legal course from the School of Internet Governance in Brazil.

In the second part of the event, Professor Benedikt Buchner , from the University of Augsburg, Germany, was the keynote speaker, addressing the complexities of "Privacy, data protection and artificial intelligence" in a talk that explored the ethical and legal implications of these topics in digital context. The topic was debated by Professor Ingo Wolfgang Sarlet (PUC/RS), moderated by Laura Schertel Mendes , professor at IDP and director of CEDIS/IDP.

Then, the panel “Digital Governance in the Age of AI: Paths to an Inclusive, Secure and Sustainable Internet”, moderated by Victor Oliveira Fernandes , advisor at CADE and professor at IDP, brought together experts from various spheres to discuss the paths of digital governance in Brazil:

• Miriam Wimmer , Director of ANPD and Professor at IDP
• João Brant , Secretary of SECOM, Presidency of the Republic
• Bianca Kremer , Advisor at CGI.br
• Flávia Lefèvre , Associate Consultant at the NUPEF Institute, represented by Luiza Mesquita , Internet Governance Training Coordinator at CGI.br

To close, the event paid tribute to professor Danilo Doneda, with a panel that sought to reflect on the legacy of his work and contributions to the protection of fundamental rights in the digital scenario. Moderated by Professor Mônica Fujimoto (IDP), the panel included renowned professionals and Professor Danilo's daughter, Dora Doneda:

• Bia Barbosa , Advisor to CGI.br
• Bruno Bioni , Founding Director of Data Privacy Brasil
• Carlos Affonso Souza , Director of ITS/Rio and Professor at UERJ
• Fabricio da Mota Alves , Lawyer specializing in data protection
• Dora Doneda , family member 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 foundations to continue the professor's legacy, essential for guaranteeing fundamental rights in Brazil and in the digital world.