Linking CRVS, national ID systems ‘transformative’ for govts, citizens

The push for civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) and national ID systems to be integrated with each other to facilitate access to legal identity is getting stronger, and MOSIP and OpenCRVS are part of that driving force.

In a blog article published as an advocacy on legal identity for all, the two partners opine that linking CRVS and national identity systems is something they want to make “a reality worldwide” because it can facilitate data exchange in a way capable of bridging the identity gap.

“Together [CRVS and national ID], they can be transformative for governments and their citizens – as evidenced by our ongoing pilot programmes in countries such as Uganda and the Philippines,” say MOSIP and OpenCRVS.

They say the partnership entails OpenCRVS administering civil registration, recording crucial events such as births, deaths, marriage and divorces, while MOSIP “serves as a scalable and secure foundation for interoperable identity systems.”

The article carries a quote from Annina Wersun, co-founder and chief impact officer of OpenCRVS, who made the point for CRVS-ID systems linkage during a session of MOSIP Connect 2024 in Ethiopia in March.

“Recognition is achieved through the ability to demonstrate one’s legal identity. Protection is afforded by laws designed to safeguard legally recognized individuals. Provision is enabled by integrating civil registration with ID systems, providing individuals with a Unique Identification Number (UIN) to access essential services in a digital world,” said Wersun then.

Emphasizing the need to build inclusive ID systems which are vital in moving countries toward achieving the SDG 16.9 target, MOSIP and OpenCRVS say their collaboration in this light “enables seamless data sharing and validation, ensuring identity management from birth to death, while eliminating the inefficiencies of traditional siloed systems.”

They say the OpenCRVS-MOSIP integration works as a cycle from ID creation and registration at birth to deregulated ID deactivation after death.

“By embracing open-source principles, OpenCRVS and MOSIP are committed to collaboration and transparency, ensuring adaptability across diverse contexts and integration with various systems,” they affirm.

“This partnership is working towards the global use of Open Standards, aiming to enhance interoperability and flexibility across systems. Through these initiatives, we strive to enhance societal welfare and broaden access to services on a larger scale.”

This month, MOSIP launched a virtual hackathon that aims to spark creativity and innovation to better address ID management and digital transformation challenges.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital identity  |  identity management  |  interoperability  |  legal identity  |  MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform)  |  national ID  |  open standards  |  OpenCRVS  |  SDG 16.9