Link to view recording video here.

This side-event was organized by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in partnership with Government of Japan. It took place online on 25 October 2021, from 9:00 to 10:30 hrs, Bangkok time. 

Background:     

As the COVID-19 vaccination programme continues to roll out worldwide (albeit at a much slower pace in many parts of the Global South, largely due to ‘vaccine hoarding’ in the Global North), it is critical for governments to keep track on exactly how many people have been vaccinated within their borders. Many governments have also started to make possession of a COVID-19 vaccination certificate a pre-requisite for participation in essential activities – such as international travel or entry into public buildings. Subsequently, the assimilation of vaccination records as a component of overall identity data, linking closely with functional ID systems, is becoming increasingly more important. 

Depending on its existing civil registration system and the level of completeness of such registries, different governments have taken unique innovative measures in order to track the levels of vaccination. Some governments link the vaccination record to the foundational ID (birth certificate or national ID card), and others use biometrics to track records without necessarily linking them to the civil registry. While crucially important to track vaccination records as thoroughly as possible, many privacy concerns have been raised as vaccination records represent sensitive personal health information.  

In this side event, different innovative approaches to COVID-19 vaccination record keeping, and its linkage with civil registration and national ID systems, were shared. 

Scope: 

This side event addressed the innovative digital/technological solutions that governments had implemented to track vaccination records and cross-check them, or link them, with civil registration/national ID records. Representatives from 2-3 countries in Asia-Pacific showcased their innovative approaches and UNDP drew lessons learned from each country case. 

Speakers: 

• Sarah Lister - Head of Governance, Bureau for Policy and Programming Support, UNDP
• Masanori Kusunoki - Director General, Digital Agency, Government of Japan
• Meerjady Sabrina Flora - Additional Director General, Directorate General or Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Bangladesh
• Posikai Samuel - Director Planning and Policy, Ministry of Health, Government of Vanuatu
• Anit Mukherjee - Policy Fellow, Center for Global Development

Moderator: Risa Arai - Programme Specialist (Legal Identity), Governance, Bureau for Policy and Programming Support, UNDP