European Association for Biometrics and Secure Identity Alliance join International Identity Day campaign

The European Association for Biometrics (EAB) and the Secure Identity Alliance (SIA) have joined the campaign initiated by ID4Africa and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) of Nigeria to have September 16 officially recognized as International Identity Day.

The campaign was launched at ID4Africa 2018 on April 24 in Abuja, Nigeria, and calls for the establishment of International Identity Day to support United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16.9, which is to provide legal identity for all people by 2030. The initiative was received enthusiastically at the 4th annual meeting of the ID4Africa movement, with more than 1500 signatures collected from citizens of more than 80 countries.

“The purpose of this day is to raise awareness about the important role identity plays in empowering individuals to exercise their rights and responsibilities fairly and equitably in a modern society,” said ID4Africa Executive Chairman Dr. Joseph J. Atick. “Many causes have special days of observances, except identity. The time has come for the world to recognize one of the most important assets a human can possess, their legal identity, and to do it while highlighting the importance of protecting that identity from theft and privacy violations.”

With identity playing an increasingly important role for people in both countries with developed and developing economies, ID4Africa says that it is moving the campaign into its second phase, aligning key partners to sensitize governments about the responsible adoption of legal identity. It will also seek a sponsor country to propose International Identity Day as an agenda item at the UN General Assembly in the coming years.

Dr. Atick further added, “We are pleased to be joined in our efforts by the SIA and the EAB, two leading institutions representing a large number of members that are passionate in advocating responsible use of identity to make a better world.”

“Having a legal Identity is a global human right empowering individuals to participate in society,” said Michiel van der Veen, CEO of EAB. “As the leading voice for digital identity, for Europe, the EAB supports and promotes the initiative to recognize the importance of this human right through the International Identity Day. We are pleased to participate with all the other coalition partners to see this initiative through to fruition.”

“Creating awareness around the important role identity plays in a modern society, whether developing or developed, is a core mission of SIA,” emphasized Chairman of the Board for the Secure Identity Alliance, Frédéric Trojani. “Together with the other coalition partners we will work to bring this awareness to the highest political levels necessary to recognize the importance of this role, and to memorialize that collective effort through a commemorative day—the International Identity Day.”

Integrated Biometrics announced its support for the campaign shortly after its launch. The petition in support of International Identity Day is available at the campaign’s website.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Dr. Joseph Atick  |  European Association for Biometrics  |  ID4Africa  |  International Identity Day  |  Secure Identity Alliance  |  United Nations