Monday 22 June, 2026
In effectively all countries in the world, proof of identity is an essential prerequisite for gaining access to basic services, and to exercising fundamental human rights. Without a birth certificate, for example, a child may not be able to enrol for school, receive state health care services, claim rights to inheritance or obtain legal protection in courts of law. In the absence of a birth certificate, it is exceptionally difficult and costly for an individual to retrospectively establish their identity and, consequently, to participate as a citizen in their country of birth.
