Gabon’s national biometric identification initiative · Gabon’s national biometric identification initiative I Digital security to establish a reliable National Registry Emerging

Gabon’s national biometricidentification initiative

I Digital security to establish a reliable National Registry

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Gabon’s national biometricidentification initiative

I Digital security to establish a reliable National Registry

Emerging Gabon

With a population of 1.5 million, theGabonese Republic is among themore prosperous nations of sub-Saharan Africa. The government hasdevised the “Emerging Gabon”development strategy to face futurechallenges. The strategy aims totransform Gabon into a moredeveloped country by 2025,diversifying the economy throughindustrial development, expansion ofthe services sector and green growth.

Building the new foundation ofGabonese citizenship

Within the framework of this ambitiousdevelopment, the Ministry of theInterior has made digital civil registry,improved electoral register accuracyand enhanced-security ID documentskey priorities. These projects are seenas a matter of sovereignty andnational security for the GaboneseRepublic and a new foundation forGabonese citizenship. Achieving thesegoals will allow the country to pavethe way for digital development in linewith the three-year "Digital Gabon"plan, which forms part of theEmerging Gabon strategy.

Key challenges

Gabon’s Ministry of the Interior haslaunched a biometric identification incoordination with Agence Nationaledes Infrastructures Numériques et desFréquences (ANINF) program knownas Identification Biométrique Officielle auGabon, or IBOGA. It aims to build areliable national biometric civil registeryto replace paper identification withelectronic documents and generate asecure electoral register ahead of thelocal 2013 elections. The biometricdatabase will serve as a master registryto issue all citizen ID, including birthcertificates, national identity cards,passports and driver’s licenses.Tamper-proof biometric authenticationwill be instrumental to preventing fraud.

First major implementation slatedfor 2013 elections

Discussions of the introduction ofbiometrics into the electoral system inGabon date to 2005. Mindful of hiscommitment to the principles of goodgovernance, President Ali BongoOndimba held two meetings withpolitical leaders in April and May 2011.The political leadership agreed on theneed to introduce biometrics into theelectoral system, broadening the scopeto all forms of citizen identification. The2013 local elections will be the firstillustration of this initiative.

The solution

Following an invitation to tenderlaunched in December 2011, theMinistry of the Interior turned toGemalto’s extensive experience incitizen enrollment and issuance fordeployment of a comprehensivesolution encompassing Coesysbiometric citizen enrollment and eIDdocument issuance solutions. The Gemalto end-to-end solutioncomprises Coesys desktop andmobile enrollment stations pre-installed with software to capturecitizens’ demographic data,fingerprints and digital photographs.The solution features an AutomatedBiometric Identification System (ABIS)linked to the registry fingerprint. Itsmatching capability guarantees theuniqueness of each entry.

With its biometricidentification program,the country is creatingthe new basis forGabonese citizenship.

This initiative is key tothe ambitiousdevelopment strategyknown as EmergingGabon.

Gemalto is also providing its issuancesolution to enable the Gabonesegovernment to personalize futureofficial documents. Law enforcementofficials will be equipped with CoesysMobile eVerification terminals to checkdocuments and verify identities in thefield. Full training services, technicalassistance and maintenance are alsobeing provided. To maintain a localpresence throughout the project,Gemalto additionally opened an officein Gabon in 2011.

Benefits

Prior to the launch of IBOGA, citizenidentification in Gabon was paper-based and prone to fraud. Thegovernment’s new, secure electronicnational registry and tamper-proofbiometric identification will play adecisive role ensuring bettergovernance and administrativeefficiency.

Chief benefits of Gemalto’scomprehensive solution include:

Ease of issuance for officialsDeployment of enrollment equipmentand a register management systemwill take place nationwide at dedicatedcenters, with on-site management inmaternity wards to improve the rate ofbirth registration.

Flexibility for citizen end-usersBecause not all citizens require thesame travel and ID documents,issuance will be need-based, frombirth certificates to national identitycards, resident cards, passports andvoting cards.

A more secure guarantee of voteridentityThe new electronic voter list will forma basis of identification through theestablishment of a secure masterregistry, with a single, uniqueidentification number for each citizen.

Modernization in line with DigitalGabonTrue to the government’s vision ofbuilding a foundation for eGovernmentservices, a national center will beestablished to consolidate electronic

records and oversee issuance ofsecure new identity documentsmeeting international standards.

A foundation for futureeGovernment applicationsSimultaneous set-up of a Public KeyInfrastructure (PKI) will establish atrusted backbone for integration of thenational biometric ID program intofuture eGovernment services.

Return on investment forgovernment spendingUse of a single, unique identificationnumber to issue all citizen ID reducescosts by eliminating redundant orunnecessary processes. The solution’sbiometric authentication will also savenational resources by preventing theabuse of government benefitsprograms.

www.gemalto.com

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