Biometric identification system in developing countries is becoming an indispensable governance tool for ensuring access to educational opportunities, financial services, health and social welfare benefits program, as well as allowing electoral participation for citizens in making transitioning democracies more transparent and strong.
The recently launched Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) goals spearheaded by the United Nations through a deliberative process involving its 193 Member States, as well as global civil society, also highlights the role of robust identification systems and their importance to development specifically as one of the proposed SDG targets (#16.9), but also as a key enabler of the efficacy of many other SDG targets.
Last year the World Bank also launched its Identification for Development (ID4D) agenda highlighting the transformational potential of biometric ID systems for the delivery of basic services to the poor, with the goal of making “everyone count” by providing legal identity and delivering digital ID-enabled services to all. A person lacking a legally verifiable ID suffers legally, politically, socially, and economically. But in the developing world, enormous gains can be obtained from extending services and opportunities to all in new ways that can help developing countries improve electoral processes, political participation, functioning of governments and civil liberties. This all can help lead countries with poor democratic record transform in to a fully functional democracy.
In the next post I will be discussing the ways in which NADRA biometric ID system has improved the political participation in Pakistan and helping strengthen democracy.
