UNHCR calls for universal inclusion of refugees, stateless persons and people at risk of statelessness in national digital foundational ID systems at ID4Africa 2026

ABIDJAN, Côte d'Ivoire, 18 May 2026 – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, convened in partnership with the World Bank, a high-level session at the ID4Africa 2026 Annual General Meeting in Abidjan, bringing together government representatives, civil society, and identity experts to advance the inclusion of refugees and stateless persons in government-led foundational digital identification systems across Africa.

The session, titled "Identity for Refugees and Stateless Persons," examined how national digital ID systems can responsibly and sustainably extend trusted identity credentials to refugees, stateless persons, and individuals at risk of statelessness who are habitually residents in the country. Drawing on experience from Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Mali, Namibia, and Uganda, participants explored legal, institutional, and operational safeguards to make national foundational ID systems inclusive by design.

"Universality is the defining test of any digital public ecosystem," said Patrick Eba, Deputy Director of UNHCR's Division of International Protection and Solutions, who delivered the opening address. "If a system cannot recognise all habitual residents on the territory, it cannot fully serve everyone. And if it cannot serve everyone, it cannot be fully trusted. Universality is not a feature to add later: it is the foundation of system integrity."

The event featured two expert panels. The first focused on statelessness-sensitive ID systems, highlighting Namibia's 2024 Civil Registration and Identification Act, which introduced a legal pathway to identify children born on the territory whose nationality is unknown and refer them to competent authorities within six months. Côte d'Ivoire's experience with ONECI, its national civil registration and identification authority, illustrated how an inclusive system can serve as a key mechanism for identifying, preventing and reducing statelessness. A contribution from Kenyan civil society organization Haki Na Sharia underscored the critical role of paralegal services and public interest litigation in supporting access to trusted legal ID credentials for communities at risk, including Kenyans of Somali origin facing barriers to establishing their nationality.

The second panel examined the inclusion of refugees in national foundational ID systems as a driver of sustainable inclusion, self-reliance, and durable solutions. Chad's model, in which the national civil registry and identification authority ANATS issues secure identity credentials to refugees on an equal footing with nationals, with a national unique identifier, was presented as a replicable example of an institutional approach that fosters sustainability. Uganda and Mali shared their perspective on the legal and institutional design, addressing interoperability, data protection, and the transition away from parallel humanitarian registration systems.

“We need early inclusion of refugees and people at risk of statelessness in government-led foundational ID systems, alongside strong legal, governance and data-protection safeguards to build trust and prevent discrimination,” said Patrick Eba. “It is equally critical to systematically integrate referral mechanisms within civil registration and identification systems to help identify, prevent and reduce statelessness,” he concluded.

Globally, an estimated 4.4 million people are reported as stateless or of undetermined nationality, though the true figure is considered significantly higher. Millions of refugees lack access to trusted identity credentials issued by national identification authorities, limiting their ability to access national services, achieve self-reliance, and pursue durable solutions. Inclusion in national digital foundational ID systems is central to UNHCR's broader agenda of reducing long-term dependence on humanitarian assistance.

The ID4Africa Annual General Meeting, held in Abidjan from 12 to 15 May 2026, is the continent's leading forum on digital identity, and the role of identification systems in governance and development.

For more information, please contact:

• In Geneva, Benedicte de Voos, [email protected]
• In Nairobi, Christine Nkirote Gituma, [email protected]
• In Dakar, Oukoum Nadjombe Gbatti, [email protected] and Charlotte Maquin, [email protected]