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.