1. UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Brief Introduction to UNHCR’s Registration and Identity Management
Susanne Butscher, H2020 Project Clustering Workshop – Athens, 31 Jan 2018

2. Registration is the process of recording, verifying and updating information on persons of concern to UNHCR. It aims to assists in the provision of protection, documentation and durable solutions
Currently 7.9 million refugees registered in 130 countries
Biometrics of 4.5 million refugees in 49 countries

3. PRIMES Population Registration and Identity Management EcoSystem
It encompasses all UNHCR registration, identity management and caseload management tools and applications. (existing and developed ones)
PRIMES is a platform that allows different applications to access the proGres population registry.

5. Biometrics Identity Management System (BIMS)
UNHCR’s corporate system that enrolls, identifies and manages the identities of Persons of concern through their fingerprints and/or irises.
BIMS is UNHCR’s corporate biometrics tool and an integrated component of UNHCR’s identity management practice.
Ensures that refugees’ personal identities cannot be lost, registered multiple times and are not subject to fraud or identity theft.
In the Middle East UNHCR works with IrisGuard.
UNHCR’s former corporate biometrics system was BioRegistrator.

7. There are 66 million refugees and forcibly displaced persons.
Refugee perspective
Imagine if
every person, regardless of her status, age, and gender, can identify herself everywhere.
refugees have a recognized ID in the country of asylum, despite of having either foreign, limited, or no documents at all.
TARGET: 16.9 By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration
INDICATOR: Proportion of children under 5 years of age whose births have been registered with a civil authority, by age
There are 66 million refugees and forcibly displaced persons.

8. “We want every refugee to have a unique digital identity
“We want every refugee to have a unique digital identity. This will enhance accountability and facilitate two-way communication between refugees and service providers. It will also help prevent and reduce statelessness.” 
The High Commissioner,
Opening Speech at the
UNHCR Executive Committee (ExCom),
2 October 2017