World Bank to assess ASEAN’s readiness for cross-border digital identity

It’s a big few days for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia hosts the second of 2025’s Summits. While the member states discuss policy amongst each other, as well as with non-member powers, the World Bank has issued a call on cross-border identity.

The World Bank put out a call for proposals to evaluate the readiness of ASEAN Member States (AMS) for cross-border digital identity and verifiable credential interoperability. The assignment intends to establish a regionally harmonized digital identity framework across Southeast Asia.

The selected consulting firm will be tasked with mapping and analyzing national digital identity ecosystems and governance structures to understand current capabilities and institutional arrangements. It will also review legal and policy frameworks related to digital identity, electronic authentication, data protection, and cross-border data flows.

Additionally, the firm will assess technical standards and trust frameworks, with a focus on interoperability readiness across jurisdictions. Based on these findings, it will develop evidence-based recommendations and a high-level roadmap to support ASEAN-wide digital identity interoperability.

The assignment will be conducted remotely, relying on desk-based research and virtual consultations with relevant agencies and stakeholders in each AMS. The call-out is published under Solicitation Number 0002018938 by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA) and closes on October 27, 2025, at 23:59.

ASEAN members are hotly pursuing digital identity, DPI and digital transformation. This October’s summit will also see leaders from the U.S., China, India, Russia, Japan, Australia and Canada, among others, flying in as the region is courted for political and economic favor. ASEAN comprises 11 member states with Timor-Leste inducted as the eleventh member on Sunday at the 47th summit’s opening ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.

The World Economic Forum is predicting ASEAN to possess a $2 trillion digital economy by 2030 — but that to unlock potential ASEAN needs a “multi-pronged approach,” with regulation and standardization required to ensure cross-border data flow. But talks on interoperability, governance of digitalization, infrastructure and more – known collectively as DEFA – have been slow, with Indonesia previously calling on ASEAN members to speed up the pace of negotiations.

Article Topics

ASEAN  |  cross-border data sharing  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  interoperability  |  Southeast Asia  |  verifiable credentials  |  World Bank