The National Identification Authority (NIA) joins the 48-member countries of the ID4Africa Movement to commemorate International Identity Day – a global initiative aimed at promoting the importance of legal identity in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 16.9 of the United Nations.
A statement issued by the NIA in Accra over the weekend said the day serves as a reminder of the critical role identity plays in ensuring inclusive societies, protecting human rights, and enabling access to essential services and opportunities for all. The following is the full statement.
The National Identification Authority (NIA) joins the 48- member countries of the ID4Africa Movement to commemorate International Identity Day – a global initiative aimed at promoting the importance of legal identity in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 16.9 of the United Nations.
This day – 16th September – serves as a reminder of the critical role identity plays in ensuring inclusive societies, protecting human rights, and enabling access to essential services and opportunities for all.
This is a momentous day for us to pause and reflect on three fundamentals of identity: Inclusion, Protection, and Utility. 1. Inclusion: Legal identity is a fundamental human right. Ensuring that every individual has a legal identity is essential for their inclusion in society. International Identity Day calls on governments, organisations, and individuals to work together to ensure that no one is left behind.
Inclusive identity systems help address issues such as statelessness, discrimination, and social exclusion. Protection: Legal identity is a shield against various forms of exploitation and abuse. It safeguards individuals’ rights and provides them with a voice. International Identity Day emphasizes the importance of protecting vulnerable populations, including children, refugees and marginalized communities by ensuring they have access to legal identity documents.
Utility: “ID Day is also an opportunity for those who have proof of identity, to check if they are reaping the highest returns on their identity by asking how well their identity can be used to empower them and simplify their daily lives. It is the ideal occasion to call on service providers to adopt identity-enabled service delivery.”
Legal identity such as the Ghana Card is not just a piece of plastic; it is a gateway to accessing essential services and opportunities. It enables individuals to open bank accounts, access education and healthcare, and participate in economic activities.
International Identity Day advocates for the utility of legal identity as a tool for socio-economic development, poverty reduction, and building resilient communities. This year, as the NIA joins the global community in celebrating International Identity Day, we invite all persons living in Ghana who have questions and/or suggestions about the ID4Africa Movement as well as any enquiries about any of NIA’s registration services to visit NIA’s Head Office or Northern or Ashanti Regional Offices on Monday, 18th September 2023.
This celebration is aimed at raising awareness and driving action on crucial identity issues. We also urge all persons living in Ghana who have not yet registered for their Ghana card to do so and enjoy all the benefits it comes with. Together, we can make a difference by ensuring that legal identity is accessible to all, fostering inclusive societies, protecting the most vulnerable, and unlocking the full potential of individuals and communities.
