Somalia passes law to launch new civil registry and national ID

Somalia is preparing for its first civil registration and identity card issuance exercise in three decades after new legislation was approved by the senate, Garowe Online reports.

The new National Identification cards will help address the country’s lack of security, parliamentarians say. It could also help with financial transactions and business registration, the country’s Interior Minister Ahmed Fiqi says.

The challenges with identifying individuals in Somalia has contributed to the success of terrorist groups, according to the report.

Slovenia, UAE biometric ID cards win award for best quality

The biometric national ID cards of Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been recognized as the joint best new national ID cards of any nations in Africa, Europe and the Middle East (EMEA).

The recognition was conferred on the two ID cards during the 2023 High Security Printing (PSP) EMEA Conference which took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from 7 to 9 March, according to a post on the Slovenian government website.

The choice was made by a panel of experts in the domain of ID and security which examined a huge number of entries. The award recognizes excellence in the quality of identity and travel documents.

According to the Slovenian government, the new ID card which has been rewarded for its outstanding quality reflects the latest technology in that domain.

The document, which was launched in March 2022 is the fruit of collaboration among the country’s Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Public Administration and the contractor Cetis, a security printing company.

It is also an identity document that combines cutting-edge technology, sophisticated security design and the highest requirements of international standards, and has advanced features with 34 security elements, the government says.

The card is also known for its wide range of functionalities and enables users to have access to several electronic services both in the public and private sectors. With it, holders can travel to 42 countries.

The Emirati ID for its part is a highly secure ID card which enable citizens have access to several services online.

Meanwhile, during the same award ceremony, Latvia’s new model driver’s license also emerged victorious in the category of ‘Best New ID Document.’

The news was tweeted by contractor Idemia which said the license contains Lasink Origin, a security feature that securely embeds a color portrait in the card. The company said it is grateful to the Latvian government for the contract and the HPS for the honor.

In other related ID card news, the Hawaii state Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced that thousands of ID cards, which were printed with the wrong font, will remain in use at airports until further notice, as the U.S. Transportation Security Administration has been notified of the error

As reported by Civil Beat, 2,450 of the cards printed in February have already been mailed out to their owners.

New cards to correct the misprint will be issued from this month, the outlet mentions. In the meantime, the DOT has encouraged State residents to check their IDs.

In Thailand, the police are leading an investigation to uncover details about a fake ID production ring after a suspect was arrested with seven counterfeit IDs, writes Bangkok Post. The deputy national police chief is quoted as saying that the investigations have to be completed quickly as the circulation of fake ID cards is also a threat to national security.

In Japan, in the meantime, authorities of the Island of Amami-Oshima in Kagoshima Prefecture say they plan to issue ID numbers to domestic cats as part of a plan to reduce straying.

The issuance of the ID dubbed ‘Maya nyamber’ cards will begin in all five municipalities of the Island, narrates Mainichi. The ID will cost 1,000 yen (US$7).

The new ID will come with a photo, and will bear the name and address of the cat’s house owner. Owners of the cats are also expected to be registered.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  Cetis  |  civil registration  |  digital ID  |  digital ID cards  |  IDEMIA  |  identity document  |  national ID  |  Somalia