H.M. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the United Nations Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA), will deliver the keynote remarks at the Identification for Development (ID4D) event “Inclusive Digital ID for a Resilient Recovery from COVID-19” at the Virtual World Bank Group-International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings on 21 October 2020.
Identity cards are important to give people access to official financial services. According to the World Bank, around one billion people worldwide cannot prove their identity because they do not have a valid passport or ID. Millions of others do have ID, but it cannot be checked for validity.
In her speech, the UNSGSA will discuss, among other things, how digital ID cards can contribute to secure access to financial services such as a bank or savings account, insurance, loans or pensions and the importance of these for economic recovery for countries in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.
The UNSGSA previously spoke at the “Mission Billion: Transforming Countries and Empowering People Through Digital Identity” event hosted by ID4D at the 2019 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and IMF.