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The post-2015 development agenda is being shaped as we speak. The role of identity and identification
and its importance to development outcomes places it within the new Sustainable Development
Goals (SDG) agenda—specifically as one of the proposed SDG targets (#16.9), but also as a key enabler
of the efficacy of many other SDG targets. Although there is no one model for providing legal
identity, this SDG would urge states to ensure that all have free or low-cost access to widely accepted,
robust identity credentials. Regardless of the modalities to achieve it, the recognition of legal identity –
together with its associated rights – is becoming a priority for governments around the world. Political
will is central, and the SDGs – unwieldy as they may seem today – provide a useful reference point
for accountability. But new approaches expand the horizon of what is possible, and should serve as
a stimulus to development ambition. Seizing these opportunities requires strong leadership, a supportive
legal framework, mobilization of financial and human resources, and – critically – the trust of
each country’s residents. Incentives, technology, foreign assistance and reforms will all be critical in
achieving tangible results. Equally important is coordination at the global, regional and national levels,
to ensure inclusive oversight and concerted global action. Support from donors and other development
partners is widely diffused. It could focus more strategically on building core systems for registration
and – equally important – ensuring that these extend into effective and inclusive systems to support
development.
