At the Global DPI Summit 2025, development and health organizations joined government officials to advocate for civil registration as the foundation of inclusive and trustworthy digital identity systems. The initiative, “Register Once, Recognize for Life,” underscores the need to link birth and death registration (CRVS) with digital ID to ensure no one is left behind.

The urgency is underscored by the fact that an estimated 850 million individuals worldwide lack official proof of identity, with over a billion people lacking any digital record of their identity. Experts from the World Bank ID4D Initiative, UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, and ADB emphasized that systematic CRVS is essential for equitable access to services and accurate population data.

To support implementation, Vital Strategies and the World Bank have released a joint working paper and convened a peer-learning workshop on the sidelines of the Global DPI Summit. The workshop explored practical steps for building interoperable, people-centered systems, with outputs informing an upcoming action guide for governments.

See the event details here.