Opening a bank account, accessing health care and obtaining an education are just a few of the activities that commonly require personal identification. Yet, more than 1.1 billion people in the world cannot legally prove their identity.
To address this global challenge, FHI 360 recently endorsed the Principles on Identification for Sustainable Development: Toward the Digital Age. These principles, also endorsed by the World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Center for Global Development, the United Nations Children’s Fund and many more organizations, recognize the importance of creating inclusive, secure and trustworthy identification systems to support the development and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The principles recognize that digital technologies offer opportunities to rapidly improve identification systems and also create challenges and risks that may require mitigation.
The ten principles, developed through a process led by the World Bank, are grouped in the categories of “inclusion,” “design” and “governance.” The principles apply to legal identification systems so individuals can obtain government-recognized credentials as proof of identity. Proof of identity empowers individuals and strengthens governments and businesses to deliver services transparently, efficiently and effectively.
FHI 360 has long and extensive experience working with information technology in development on projects such as the Mozambique Health Information Network, Mobile Solutions Technical Assistance and Research (mSTAR) and the Kosovo Basic Education Program. These and other activities have laid the groundwork for a future where we will continue to optimize the use of digital tools for impactful development work.
“We have endorsed these principles because we are committed to all people having access to the tools to document their legal identity so that they can fully participate in the economic, social and political life of their societies,” said Patrick Fine, Chief Executive Officer of FHI 360. “We look forward to collaborating with the other signatories toward achieving the vision of inclusion espoused by the principles.”
