Calls for Speakers

ID4Africa is always looking for experts in identity matters who are able to share their experiences related to specific themes timely & pertinent to Africa. If you are an identity stakeholder and would like to participate, please bookmark & revisit this page often for open opportunities or write to us at speakers@id4africa.com

Please note: There is no financial or other consideration for participation in the ID4Africa LiveCasts. Selection of participants in any of the episodes is based on a rigorous, merit-based review of submissions received in response to the open Call for Participation. In addition, selection to participate should not be interpreted as an endorsement by ID4Africa of the presenting company or organization.  ID4Africa is vendor-neutral, provides equal opportunity, and does not endorse any particular solution, technology or service.

Please scroll down to find and select the session you wish to apply for.

Digital Identity for Facilitated Travel & Border Management

In our ongoing exploration of use cases of digital identity, we intend to dedicate at least one LiveCast to the pivotal role of digital identity in facilitating movement of people and revolutionizing travel and border management. At this stage we are seeking presenters and panellists to share their expertise on a diverse range of topics shaping the future of travel processes. We will be curating the proposals into a multi-segment (3 hour) episode which will be broadcast live on October 30, 2024.

We are seeking speakers who can address advancements in any of the following areas, which represent the core role of identity in the Travel and Movement of people use case.

1. Secure Travel Documents & Credentials: At the heart of the travel experience is the credential, which is constantly evolving. Key areas of interest for presentations in this domain include: The Next Generation ePassports; the ICAO Digital Travel Credential standard; Mobile ID solutions (mDL and mDoc); and the exploration of business and technological innovations set to shape the future of travel credentials.

2. Biometrics in Travel: Since the inception of the ePassport, biometrics have become the cornerstone of the travel experience, linking the travel documents to the individual through the biometric authentication process. Pertinent topics for presentation in this area include the use of face recognition technologies and other biometric modalities for seamless identification and verification during boarding procedures, border crossings, and their application in eGates and other facilitated travel programs and equipment.


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3. Integrated Travel & Border Management: We are seeking case studies that showcase the seamless implementation of next-generation concept airports and border crossings, designed to enhance the fluidity of human movement while bolstering security measures. These case studies should offer insights into the intricate system integration challenges inherent in aligning processes and systems across diverse stakeholders. These stakeholders include airlines, airport authorities, identity authorities, immigration agencies, law enforcement, counterterrorism units, health organizations, and customs officials.

4. Data-centric view of travel and border crossing: In the modern travel landscape, data, which encompasses identity and contextual information, is pivotal in shaping both the traveler's journey and the intricate workings of risk-based border control procedures. We are seeking experts who can share the latest advancements and experiences concerning the utilization of Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR), alongside the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within adaptive risk-assessment algorithms. The presentation should explain how these data-driven mechanisms not only streamline the travel experience but also fortify border security measures by enabling authorities to assess potential risks more effectively. By analyzing API and PNR data, authorities can pre-emptively identify and mitigate potential threats while facilitating smoother and safer border crossings for travelers. Of interest as well is to showcase how the integration of AI further enhances these risk-assessment processes, allowing for dynamic adjustments based on evolving threats and patterns.

5. Data Protection and Privacy: The travel process not only consumes data but generates significant data exhausts containing Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Consequently, safeguarding travelers' privacy while securing digital identity data is imperative. Of interest for this LiveCast, is a high-level discussion of the multifaceted challenges and opportunities in this realm. Presentations should explain how modern approaches to data security can help achieve the overarching objective of enhancing security measures without encroaching upon the privacy rights of travelers. This can include the implementation of robust privacy-by-design principles, where systems are intricately designed to prioritize privacy from the outset. By implementing transparent data collection practices, providing clear consent mechanisms, and adopting strict access controls, stakeholders can foster a culture of trust and accountability while upholding travelers' privacy rights. The presentation should demonstrate how a privacy-first approach can enable us to navigate the complexities of data management in travel while safeguarding the fundamental rights of travelers.

6. Standards and Interoperability: Relevant presentations should emphasize the pivotal role of standardization and interoperability among identity systems in fostering seamless travel experiences while upholding data privacy and security standards. They should illustrate the significance of regional cross-border collaborations and travel schemes that hinge on interoperability and shared data to craft a streamlined journey. Successful regional collaborations and travel initiatives that prioritize interoperability to shed light on the tangible benefits of such approaches, would also be of interest.

7. Regulatory Frameworks: Of interest are policy presentations or panel discussions that recognize the imperative for transparent national laws and regulatory frameworks, complemented by robust international conventions, to govern the evolution and implementation of digital identity solutions within travel and border crossing procedures. Clear legal frameworks at the national level are essential for providing guidance and establishing standards for the development, deployment, and usage of digital identity solutions. Speakers should demonstrate how clear national laws and international conventions form a robust regulatory framework that fosters trust, promotes innovation, and ensures accountability in digital identity within the travel and border crossing domain.

Scope:
This topic is at the heart of the development agenda since it relates to the free movement of people and hence the underlying engines of economic exchange. We are open to receiving proposals about topics not listed above, that relate to this theme.

Rolling Deadline:
The casting of speakers will be ongoing until all spots have been allocated. We expect to complete recruitment by mid-September. We therefore urge potential speakers to submit their proposal for consideration early, as speaking spots will be assigned very quickly.

Who Can Apply
If you are an expert and have insights to share on any of the topics mentioned above, we invite you to submit a proposal to speak at this seminal LiveCast. Help us shape the future of travel by sharing your knowledge and insights with industry leaders, policymakers, and technology innovators.

This call for speakers is open to anyone globally, including representatives of governments, industry, associations, development agencies, etc.

Requirements:
1. Fill out the application form via the link below, and submit a brief abstract outlining your proposed presentation topic and key takeaways.
2. Include in your application, a short bio highlighting your experience and expertise in digital identity and travel management.

If your proposal is shortlisted, you will be contacted and will receive an invitation for a Zoom interview with Dr. Joseph Atick, the host of the LiveCasts, where you can further expand on your proposal to speak.

Don't miss this opportunity to be part of an engaging discussion on the intersection of digital identity and travel & border management where we explore innovative solutions to transform the way we travel!

Digital Identity & Health

Health has emerged as a key user as well as a major demand driver for identity development. It presents a compelling use case with universal impact on society that requires persistent identification of individuals from birth to death and at every milestone in between. In many nations, health credentials have transcended the importance of national identity cards and passports in people's lives and overall well-being. Given the dual role that the healthcare sector plays in shaping identity, both as a driving force for digital identity solutions and as a consumer of identity credentials, ID4Africa is devoting a LiveCast event to this critical subject on February 28, 2024.

The focal areas of interest include:
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1. Digital Identity & Patient Identification
2. Policies & Best Practices for Health Identifiers
3. Digital Identity & Health Record Management
4. Digital Health Credentials
5. Advancing Inclusive Healthcare
6. Leveraging Emerging Technologies in Healthcare (Biometrics, Mobile health, Telehealth)
7. Healthcare as a Demand Driver for Identity Enrollment
8. The Health Stack as a DPI
9. Twinning with CR for Boosting Birth Registration
10. Security & Privacy of Health Data
11. Ethical and Regulatory Considerations

Who Can Apply

If you believe you can contribute to any of the areas of interest above, or to another aspect not covered in the list, we would love to hear from you. All identity stakeholders including industry, government, international organizations, civil society are welcome to submit an expression of interest to participate by providing a short abstract of what they can bring to the discussion. If you are an identity stakeholder and wish to contribute to this important topic, then apply online today!

Submission Deadline Extended to: December 20, 2023

Generative AI for development? The good, the bad and the undefined

Artificial intelligence, and especially the generative type, has been rapidly disrupting many domains of business practices, ever since the AI tools supporting it have become widely available early in 2023. It is natural to ponder about the disruptive potential of this powerful new technology on identity management and, more broadly, on development.

From the outset, generative AI could be a game changer in development. It could provide powerful tools, such as Github Co-pilot, for expediting system software development, which help countries that suffer from technical capacity gaps. It can also provide new classes of highly accurate biometric algorithms, and can help re-organize identity business processes and provide technical and customer support through the powerful chat platforms that are proliferating today. And these are just a few of the promising use cases that have emerged early. Despite its promise, AI also carries potential risks including bias and unfair practices, and it could also undermine the digital trust frameworks. There is still much uncertainty surrounding so many aspects of this disruptive and, thus far, unregulated technology.

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Given the significance of this topic, ID4Africa is launching an ongoing call for participation, which we should emphasize is NOT an endorsement of AI. Instead, it is an invitation to anyone who is involved in pertinent AI-related developments to submit input and proposal to speak to educate our community on this significant and rapidly evolving topic. The expectation is for content that would help identify the positives of AI in identity management and development so we can leverage them, as well as the negatives so as to mitigate their impact.

This call is open to all, including industry professionals, development agencies, and government entities.

Given the rapid advancements in this area, we will continuously accept submissions related to AI, and digital identity management, or digital transformation. We will interrupt our regular LiveCast programming to present the most promising submissions as they come through.

Identity for Good: Q1 & Q2, 2022

As the deployment of identity systems gains momentum around the world, these systems have become choice targets for criticism.

Towards the end of 2021, ID4Africa produced a LiveCast series called The Dark Side of Identity: Mitigating the Risks, where all stakeholders – Government, Civil Society, Development Agencies, Academia, Industry- were given the opportunity to voice their concerns and to propose safeguards for ID systems.

ID4Africa now intends to develop a LiveCast series to be broadcast in early 2023 which will be called Identity for Good, and will promote the bright side of identity. It will tell the stories of problems solved by responsible identity solutions.

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If you are an industry representative and have a case study that can be told about how your identity solution made a positive difference, then we need to hear about it. We want to know:

- The statement of the problem.
- How your ID solution, innovation, or ideas were used to solve it.
- Who benefited from this solution and in what ways?
- How does your solution scale?

Anyone with a story to share- governments, development agencies, civil society organizations, academia-is invited to apply.

Due to high levels of interest in this subject, the deadline to submit has been extended to: Dec 16, 2022


Open Call for Participation - LiveCast Seasons 5 & 6

We are in the process of conducting research to identify developments that merit to be shared with the broader identity community through our high profile LiveCasts which return for an exciting Season 5 on Sept 28.

This is your opportunity to join LiveCast host Dr. Joseph Atick and to be a panellist or a speaker on the most trusted platform for knowledge exchange on identity matters in the world.

We are interested in high quality content related to the following thematic areas which, according to our research, have strong demand from our community: Continue reading



  1. Use Cases that drive adoption of digital identity. This could include but is not limited to the following sectors: Agriculture; Pension; Education; Health; Travel, Transportation and driving licences; Border management; Gig economy; Social services; Social protection and social safety nets; E-commerce; Financial inclusion & Banking; G2P and P2P payments; Refugees & IDPs
  2. Digital Identity Verification/ Authentication strategies, policies, business models and trust frameworks
  3. Identity Registration and onboarding strategies and business models
  4. Experiences in reform of legal frameworks through amendments or new legislation governing any aspect of identity management– civil registration, national identity, service delivery, digital identity, ICT, social justice, data protection and privacy
  5. The Future of Identity Credentials in a Digital World and mobile credentials
  6. Building Digital Public Infrastructure (Gov Stacks, Social Stacks, Payments & service delivery platforms)
  7. Digital transformation of government and digital inclusion
  8. Data governance & privacy protection
  9. Beyond centralized identity (decentralized, federated, self-sovereign, social identity, Private sector, identity schemes)
  10. Mission 100 (Birth registration) continued

Who Can Apply
If you have interesting lessons learned or experiences in other aspects of identity management not covered in the list above, we encourage you to submit as well.. We would love to hear from qualified experts from any sector: industry, government, development agencies, mobile operators, academic researchers, civil society etc.

Please NOTE:
This Call does not concern a specific LiveCast episode but will influence our programming for the LiveCasts for the next two seasons (EP34-EP45) leading to the 2023 AGM.

While no air dates are being announced at this time, do submit as we will work with successful submissions to schedule their participation around their availability.

Submission deadline (extended): 02 December 2022

Please submit as soon as possible as we intend to select participants on a first come first served basis.

Mar 9 - Apr 6: Mobile for Identity Management & Inclusive ID4D

Mobile phones have emerged as ideal platforms for identity management, both for onboarding as well as for authentication for online and offline transactions. For example, the use of selfie’s for authentication has become common place in several sectors, including banking which is continually offering new products and services anchored on mobile platforms. These same platforms have also been used around the world, including in a few places in Africa, for onboarding applicants at a distance and for claiming entitlement and benefits. In other instances, mobile has been piloted successfully for birth notification and registration in countries where civil registration bureaus are not easily accessible to everyone in a population.

While evidence for value and viability varies, it is now very clear that mobile offers a powerful platform in support of identity management in all countries and at all economic development levels. They are game-changers for empowering individuals to leverage their identity in an increasingly more digital world and for improving inclusion and access. This affordable and omnipresent infrastructure can play a crucial role in accelerating digital transformation and digital identity adoption in developing countries.

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In view of the unprecedented record number of submissions, it became clear that this topic merits a Trilogy as opposed a single episode. We are we are scheduling this Trilogy for the following dates: 09 & 23 Mar and 06 Apr, each starting 14:30 CET / 13:30 GMT.

The Call for Speakers will be extended to Feb 11, 2022 to give the Community the chance to submit proposals responsive to the specific themes below:

Among the topics that are of interest are:

EP27 March 9th

  • Keynote: Mobile as a game changer
  • Spotlight: Accelerating identity enrollment
  • Spotlight: SIM registrations as drivers for inclusion
  • Mobile Innovations for development: Feature phones empowering the poor

EP28: March 23rd

  • Keynote: Empowering women and girls through mobile
  • Policy Panel: Mobile for development
  • Mobile for civil registration
  • Mobile for eGovernment
  • Mobile for financial inclusion 

EP29: April 6th

  • Advanced mobile ecosystems for ID management
  • Mobile self-enrollment & onboarding
  • Mobile biometrics & authentication
  • Mobile apps, wallets and credentials
  • Mitigating mobile risks: Security, surveillance, privacy & data issues

Who Can Apply
We would love to hear from qualified experts from any sector: industry, government, development agencies, mobile operators, academic researchers, civil society etc.


Extension deadline:
Please fill in the expression of interest by Friday, February 11, 2022.

Nov 17: The Dark Side of Identity: Mitigating the Risks

The session will explore ways in which identity systems could be harmful if not implemented correctly and under sufficient protections. It will examine themes such as exclusion resulting from barriers of access to ID, discrimination based on identity data, gender and racial bias that could be inherent in some biometric technologies, profiling enabled by the use of national population registers as the foundation of service delivery, and generally speaking, the invasion of privacy and the dangers of data breaches, etc.

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We believe the spectrum of dangers can be mitigated and the benefits of identity systems in terms of individual empowerment outweigh their risks, especially if formulated within well-defined legal frameworks and protection guardrails.

Given the importance of this topic, ID4Africa will be organizing a thematic LiveCast on November 17 Dedicated to the subject. If you believe you can contribute to this discussion we invite you to submit an expression of interest to join the panel. Please explain your point of view, your field experience, and your ideas for mitigation.

We also welcome input from anyone who can identify hidden dangers of ID systems or can propose pragmatic protection mechanisms that help build trust and public buy-in into these systems. This will be a panel of experts and practitioners drawn from the global community of stakeholders.

Submission deadline: October 21, 2021

May 26: Identity for Democracy

Identity management has always played an indispensable role in facilitating citizen participation in the democratic process by making possible trustworthy electoral systems based on unique verifiable identities. However, in recent times these systems have suffered unprecedented political attacks seeking to undermine their credibility, and have been under stress, as they had to function under difficult conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The World's current reality calls for reexamining the electoral processes end-to-end to ensure their efficiency and resilience, and to make them withstand political attacks by demonstrating that they are built on processes that are highly resistant to fraud.

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This subject is exceedingly pertinent to every democratic process in the world and failure to achieve the above goal is a threat to peace, stability and the democratic institutions, wherever they may be. In view of the criticality of this subject, ID4Africa intends to produce at least one LiveCast (first will be broadcast live on 26 May 2021) on this topic.

We are calling on the international community including industry, governments, expert consultants, thought leaders, scholars and development agencies that have domain expertise and opinions on democracy and identity management, to manifest their interest in joining us in this project, by submitting pertinent proposals to speak. The scope is worldwide, but given that Africa continues to run a large number of elections each year, we are keen to ensure that the lessons and recommendations are applicable to the Continent.

Any of the following topics would be deemed appropriate for this LiveCast, which we expect will be a mix of short presentations and an expert panel discussion (to be decided based on proposals received):
  • Expert theoretical analysis of how electoral processes should be done to render them inclusive and resistant to fraud. The discussion can be presented conceptually without mention of customers or projects.
  • Real-world case studies or research around the factors that could undermine trust in elections and the measures to mitigate them.
  • Technological solutions that have been fielded and that can be demonstrated to improve the trust in elections at any step. This includes enrollment, deduplication, data vetting, generation of voter roles, voter authentication, results transmission and tallying.
  • Policies for electoral reform or reinforcement, with the dual objective of providing access for all who are eligible while being resilient against fraud.
  • Security measures for ensuring that electoral systems cannot be tampered or hacked
  • Case studies from recent African elections or from territories where policies and technical measures prevented the elections from being contested.
  • Experience with the use of biometrics for voter registration and for authentication of voters.
  • Innovations in credentialing of voters, through, for example, QR codes, mobile voter cards, smart cards, etc
  • Interplay between NIDs, CR and voter systems.
  • Futuristic outlook on voting machines and online voting would be of interest as well.
The goal of the LiveCast is to develop a holistic understanding, and a set of recommendations, for how to design and execute trustworthy elections based on robust identification and data practices that are secure, transparent and acceptable to all parties. Successful applicants will join identity veteran and ID4Africa Executive Chairman, Dr. Joseph Atick, on a tour de force exploration of future proofing elections. Be part of the solution, submit your proposal today.

Submission deadline: April 26, 2021

Apr 8 & 29: Vaccination Certificates & Identity Management

The world has changed, in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic. With that change, it is likely that we will see the birth of a new global credential that is securely tied to a verifiable identity. As more of the world population gets vaccinated it is reasonable to expect that proof of that vaccination and its recency will become a requirement for entry into countries and hence part of the travel credentials like passports and travel documents. It may also become a requirement for a broader range of daily activities, including attending schools or working in an office in certain countries, etc.

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This public health credential raises a myriad of issues, concerns and opportunities--not least of which is the privacy and data protection challenge, and the identity management process to ensure that it is done subject to an international standard that can allow for interoperability and integration with diverse work flows.

This is a massive undertaking, which could be on the scale of the ePassport campaign. It is made even more complicated by the fact that there may be a requirement for ongoing vaccination in the future, which means that the credential needs to be dynamic and capable of being updated by public health officials. The topic is receiving lots of interest and attention but remains incoherent, this new credential does not even have a consistent name--it is referred to by many different names including vaccination certificate, health passport, immunity passport, global health card, etc.

In view of the critical and global importance of this emerging topic and its intimate connection with identity management, ID4Africa intends to explore this subject in an upcoming LiveCast.

We call upon the thought leaders of the global identity community to submit expressions of interest to participate by providing a short abstract of what they can bring to the discussion. We are open to receiving proposals on any aspects of this subject including policy, data protection, travel management, operational identity management, and visionary contributions that could outline how this credential is likely to emerge, become standardized and deployed. All identity stakeholders including industry, government, international organizations, civil society are welcome to submit. If you are an identity stakeholder and wish to contribute to this important topic, then apply online today!

For details or assistance, Email: speakers@id4africa.com.


Submission deadline: March 02, 2021

Mar 10: Gender Matters in ID Systems

In commemoration of International Women’s Day, ID4Africa is organizing a special LiveCast dedicated to gender issues in identity systems. The objective is to explore gender gaps and inform policy on how to rectify them and manage risks of exclusion especially in a digital world in the Post-COVID era, where women appear to have been disproportionately disadvantaged. Consistent with our commitment to total inclusion, the session will advocate for policy and pragmatic measures to ensure that women and girls are not left behind.

If you are an identity stakeholder and wish to contribute to this important topic, then apply online today! For details or assistance, Email: speakers@id4africa.com.

Submission deadline: Feb 15, 2021

Jan 28: Open API's as a Pathway to Identity and Sectorial System Development

This is part II in the two-part series started on December 3rd on the topic of Digital Public Goods as pathways to identity development. In the first episode we discussed open source initiatives as the foundation to developing identity systems that have the potential of serving the public good. In this second episode we will explore the role of Open APIs, that have had a long list of successes in other sectors, when developed as Open Standards.

Dec 3: The Digital Public Goods Initiatives as Pathways to Identity Development

As the role of identity in the daily lives of people continues to grow in significance, an inevitable policy question arises on a global scale: Shouldn’t identity be considered as a public good? This is not just a philosophical question; it has policy and developmental implications. It could be at the heart of a national strategy where identity is commoditized to stimulate innovation and down stream economic growth.

Oct 14: Digital Identity For Emergency Response

ID4Africa is organizing a LiveCast episode that examines the role digital identity plays in emergency response. It will examine the experiences of countries that have managed to quickly develop such systems or those that have linked their emergency response programs to already existing digital identity schemes. The discussion will be focused within the context of social safety nets, labor programs, public health and health services, refugees, pandemic responses, and natural disasters. The objective is to derive lessons learned that could be helpful to countries seeking to quickly launch social programs linked to digital identity.

Sept 16: A Special Spotlight on Inclusion

In light of its importance, ID4Africa will be dedicating an upcoming LiveCast episode to examine, from all angles, the issues impacting inclusion. We are calling on experts, who have informed views on this subject to join an engaging panel moderated by the ID4Africa Executive Chairman, Dr. Joseph Atick. In this live online session you will be given the opportunity to briefly present some prepared remarks, then engage in a discussion. The panel will include government, industry and development agencies.

Sept 3: Spotlight on Face Recognition Technology

The interest in Face Recognition Technology (FRT) as a biometric for identity systems has grown significantly in recent times. A new class of algorithms has emerged through the application of deep learning and artificial intelligence, and is considerably more robust and scalable than prior generations. This new generation, which is available from many sources on the marketplace, is ideal for 1:Many (identification and deduplication) as well as 1:1 (authentication) deployments. Furthermore, the increased interest in touchless biometrics as a result of COVID-19 related concerns, has pushed the demand for FRT to an all-time high.

July 23: Spotlight on Unique Digital Identity Numbers

In response to this need which was identified over a year ago and which has inspired our thematic for 2020 Annual General Meeting (Digital multiplicities of unique identity), ID4Africa is organizing a spotlight session dedicated to the question of the unique identity numbers. It features a lineup of experts that will present the various points of view. The objective is not to promote any particular approach, but to make our community aware of the various approaches that have been established and the experience with those.

June 24: Special Symposium on Industry Response to Covid-19

In part 3 of our webinar series around COVID-19 and Identity management, we will look at how the identity industry is responding to emerging challenges to their customer practices posed by COVID-19. The objective is to identify technological innovations and new business processes that enable identity management to be performed in a world where pandemics represent a major risk factor.