The ECOWAS Commission and the World Bank, in partnership with the governments of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, and Togo, have announced the 16th Coordination Committee Meeting of the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) Programme. This meeting is set to occur in Dakar, Senegal on October 23, 2024.
The WURI Programme is funded by the World Bank and aims to increase the number of individuals in participating countries who possess government-recognized identification. This identification is intended to facilitate access to services within and across these nations. The programme consists of three main components: strengthening legal and institutional frameworks for foundational identification systems (fID systems), establishing reliable fID systems, and enabling service access through fID credentials.
During this 16th meeting, discussions will focus on developing a Community Act on Electronic Identification and Service Accessibility within ECOWAS. Participants will also review progress since the last meeting and outline priorities for the fourth quarter of 2024.
Expected outcomes from this meeting include advancing cross-border interoperability of identification systems in West Africa. This supports a long-term goal of regional integration through mutual recognition of identity credentials.
Attendees will include WURI Project Coordinators from Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, and Togo; Project Implementation Unit members from the ECOWAS Commission; and representatives from the World Bank.
The WURI Governance Framework was established in April 2023 as part of institutional coordination arrangements. It includes three committees: the Supervisory Committee, the Coordination Committee, and the Technical Committee. The Coordination Committee comprises heads of project management teams at each country's level. It facilitates operational steering and harmonization towards achieving common programme objectives.
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