African Leaders, the World Bank Group, and partners catalyze action to ensure digital identity by 2030

African leaders, the World Bank Group, the United Nations, and other development partners met today on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly for the African Leaders Roundtable on Identification for Development to catalyze collective action, boost financial support, and harness innovation for the digital identification and civil registration agenda in Africa.

The World Bank Group’s Identification for Development (ID4D) initiative estimates that 1 billion people around the world are unable to prove their identity, with over half living in Africa. According to UNICEF, nearly two-thirds of children in Africa under the age of five do not have a birth certificate. Among the 99 countries included in the 2017 ID4D-Findex survey, Africa is home to 9 of the 10 countries with the lowest identity coverage, and 7 of the 10 countries with the widest gaps in coverage between men and women.

“Half of the one billion ‘invisible’ people without a formal identity are in Africa. No ID means no access to health, education, social protection and other vital services.” said Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank CEO and Co-Chair of the ID4D High-Level Advisory Council. “We must work together to create inclusive and trusted digital ID systems that can unlock economic opportunities for the world’s most vulnerable people.”

The World Bank Group estimates it will take US$6 billion to meet Africa’s digital identification and civil registration needs. Through the ID4D initiative, the World Bank Group is providing a comprehensive package of financial and technical support at national- and regional levels in Africa. Nearly US$1 billion is being mobilized for digital identification and civil registration projects across 30 countries – 23 of which are in Africa.

Original source: World Bank
Published on 25 September 2018