Laying the Foundation: Digital Identity for the Next Generation

More than one billion people globally lack any form of officially recognized ID and roughly 800 million are under the age of 15. Excluded from civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems from birth, these children are often unable to enroll in school, access healthcare, and, as adults, participate in the formal economy. Digital ID offers the potential to get children off on the right foot with an officially recognized ID, laying the foundation for a healthy and prosperous future. Yet the question of how to provide functional ID for infants and children remains unanswered. Recent technological innovations may offer one piece of the puzzle: reliable biometric authentication, recorded at birth, and functional across the lifespan. And yet, questions remain: Is it technically feasible? Is there the necessary political will? Can these technologies be effectively implemented in the field? Panelists: Anir Chowdhury, Policy Advisor, UNDP/Government of Bangladesh Vilas Dhar, Trustee, McGovern Foundation Rebecca Distler, ID2020 (moderator) Edward Duffus, Head of Innovation, Plan International Sam Müller, Senior Country Manager - Asia Pacific, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance