Taiwan is helping St Kitts and Nevis build its digital ID architecture

Some progress has been reported on a project currently being implemented in the Caribbean nation of St Kitts and Nevis to build digital public infrastructure. Taiwan is using its IT and digital governance experience to implement the project, according to the project summary.

Launched in January last year, the project, which is expected to be completed by 2026, seeks to meet three key objectives: put in place a digital ID authentication management system for the federation of St Kitts and Nevis, establish a digital ID authentication management mechanism, and enhance capacity building in information technology and security.

The executing agency of the project is the International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) of Taiwan, which is working in collaboration with the host country’s Ministries of ICT and National Security.

After the signing of the implementing arrangement in December 2022, work is said to have been completed on the development of the core system for the ‘Digital Identity Authentication Information System,’ as of March 2024, including on the digital ID card production and digital certificate mechanism. An ISO 27001 test has been conducted while 33 hours of digital ID sessions and two seminars have also been organized.

The implementation of the project, as stated in the summary, is in line with a digital government development plan rolled out in 2021, which aims at helping the country attain its Sustainable Development Goals by becoming “a digital nation with smart governance.”

Through the project which also involves the building of public key infrastructure, a digital signature mechanism and an integrated data management system for the two islands, the delivery of government and private sector services will be simplified and facilitated.

St Kitts and Nevis will also acquire digital ID card manufacturing and card issuing facility. It is also explained that the physical ID cards to be issued will be ICAO-compliant, meeting standards like 1SO 29115, ISO 7816, ISO 14443, and ISO 21188, among others.

St Kitts and Nevis is part of a project by Eastern Caribbean countries to introduce a common biometric ID for regional travel.

Article Topics

Caribbean  |  Caribbean Digital Transformation Project (CARDTP)  |  digital ID  |  digital public infrastructure  |  identity management  |  SDG 16.9  |  St Kitts and Nevis  |  Taiwan