The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has applauded Uganda for migrating to and implementing the use of digital passports. This was during the two-day International Civil Aviation Authority Organization high level meeting that Uganda is hosting at Speak Resort Munyonyo.
The meeting that started yesterday 15th November has over 88 countries convened to attend the ICAO high level meeting to deliberate on the use of machine-readable travel documents, public key infrastructure and the use of Public Key Directory (PKD) technology. Machine readable documents include E-passports and National Identity cards.
According to Lt Gen Joseph Musanyufu, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Uganda plans to improve the e-passport by adopting the poly-carbonate bio-data page to match the standard recommended and agreed on by East African Community member states.
During the meeting, the Chairperson ICAO Mario Wiesen, from Luxembourg applauded Uganda for migrating to E-passports stating that E-passport are hard to forge.
“E-passports are hard to forge by fraudsters given the different security features such as the chips built in the data system,’’ Wiesen stated.
He hailed the government of Uganda for offering to host the ICAO PKD workshop on verification of electronic machines readable travel documents, public key infrastructure and the use of the ICAO PKD.
Wiesen further stated that the workshop will enable ICAO member states to learn more and understand how the Public Key Directory works.
Uganda started implementing the E-passports in 2018 after most East African states started migrating from ordinary machine-readable passports to the electronic passport machine readable travel documents that are mainly composed of passports and National Identity cards.