Effective Date: 10 June 2026
The Global Chamber on African Trade, Rights and Economic Development (GCATRED) is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website www.gcatred.com (the “Site”) or engage with our services.
Please read this policy carefully. By using the Site, you consent to the practices described.
1. Information We Collect
We may collect and process the following categories of information:
- Personal Identification Information: Name, email address, phone number, organisation, job title, country, and other details you voluntarily provide when you fill out a contact form, membership application, partnership expression of interest, event registration, or newsletter subscription.
- Professional Information: Biographical details, statement of interest, CVs, or organisational profiles when applying for membership, fellowships, or partnerships.
- Technical Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages visited, and time spent on pages. This is collected automatically via cookies and analytics tools.
- Communication Records: Records of correspondence when you contact us via email or the Site.
We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal data (such as health information, political opinions, or biometric data) unless you voluntarily provide it in a submission, and only as necessary for the purpose of that submission.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- To respond to your inquiries and provide member services.
- To process membership applications, partnership proposals, and event registrations.
- To send newsletters, policy briefs, event invitations, and updates you have subscribed to.
- To improve our Site functionality, user experience, and content.
- To comply with legal obligations and protect the security and integrity of our Site.
- To produce aggregated, anonymised data for reporting on our institutional reach and impact.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.
3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our Site may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small data files stored on your device. You can set your browser to refuse all or some cookies, but this may affect Site functionality.
We use cookies for:
- Essential Site operations (e.g., form submissions, security).
- Analytics (e.g., Google Analytics) to understand how visitors interact with our Site. These cookies collect anonymised data.
We do not use advertising or tracking cookies from third‑party ad networks. A cookie consent banner is displayed on your first visit, allowing you to accept or decline analytics cookies.
4. Data Sharing and Disclosure
We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:
- Service Providers: With trusted third‑party vendors who assist us in operating our Site, managing our databases, sending communications, or processing payments, bound by confidentiality agreements.
- Legal Requirements: If required by law, regulation, or legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of GCATRED, our members, or others.
- With Your Consent: In any other circumstance with your explicit consent.
5. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
6. Data Retention
We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Membership data is retained for the duration of membership and a reasonable period thereafter for institutional archiving. Anonymised data may be retained indefinitely.
7. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal retention obligations.
- Objection: Object to the processing of your data for direct marketing.
- Portability: Request transfer of your data to another organisation.
- Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@gcatred.com. We will respond within one month. We may ask you to verify your identity before acting on your request.
8. Children’s Privacy
Our Site and services are not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that a child has provided us with personal data, we will take steps to delete it.
9. International Transfers
Your information may be transferred to and maintained on servers located outside your country of residence, where data protection laws may differ. We take steps to ensure that your data receives an adequate level of protection in accordance with this policy and applicable law.
10. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised “Effective Date.” We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
11. Contact Us
For questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices:
Email: info@gcatred.com
