The Secure Identity Alliance has called for an easing of identity supply chain tensions through more effective forecasting strategies.
The non-profit association, which focuses on the implementation of best practices for identity programs, reviewed the prolonged delays people are facing around the world when requesting government ID documents.
This, according to the SIA, infringes upon their rights to travel or exercise other civil rights.
“A 40 percent decrease in passport demand during the Covid crisis resulted in a huge backlog of documents not renewed or emitted in the last two years,” the organization says.
“On top of this, the relaxation of travel restrictions led to an unprecedented surge in travel document demands in 2022 worldwide, placing further pressure on the identity ecosystem.”
The announcement also mentions the war in Ukraine, which is making delivery route changes necessary, and the repetition of further Covid waves that are causing absenteeism and delays in deliveries.
Specific components that are experiencing shortages in the secure document industry are chips for biometric passports, but also paper, plastics, and other essential elements.
To tackle these shortages, the SIA has outlined a series of recommendations, aimed at both industry and government stakeholders.
These include leveraging government’s and industry’s voices to urge suppliers to prioritize mission-critical delivery of identity supplies and working together to forecast as accurately as possible and secure the necessary components.
The SIA also recommended governments step up their efforts to help develop citizens’ awareness of the reasons for document delivery delays as well as encourage them to anticipate their renewal requests.
“These sets of actions are essential to protect the primary rights of citizens to enjoy a civil identity and the right to travel,” the SIA says.
The organization also unveiled a new digital infrastructure initiative at the ID4Africa 2022 augmented general meeting in June to help governments choose biometrics and other technologies for their digital identity initiatives.
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