Article by Nana Kajaia and Tuntufye Ntaukira: “Digital wallets are becoming commonplace, often used for digitally storing payment cards instead of physical cards or cash. But beyond payments, as digital public goods with the right safeguards, digital wallets can enable individuals to reliably prove their eligibility for social protection benefits in times of need, securely share health records during an emergency, or promptly provide a certified document needed for a prospective employer.
Whenever these digital forms are recognized and integrated across systems, they can significantly increase access to public and private services, enhancing people’s lives and livelihoods. This was the theme of UNDP’s recent Digital X 3.0 knowledge-exchange webinar on strengthening human security through digital public goods, organized in partnership with the Government of Japan.
The discussions underscored how digital wallets as a core part of a country’s digital public infrastructure can unlock new opportunities for strengthening human security, across services, institutions and borders.
Malawi and Argentina: Overcoming barriers to accessing critical services
In many countries, people still tend to carry around printouts of essential documents and stand in queues for hours to confirm information that oftentimes already exists digitally.
- Imagine a farmer in Malawi having to repeatedly submit physical documentation to show proof of land ownership to pay land taxes, because the national identity, agricultural, and financial systems in his country are not integrated.
- Imagine a pregnant woman in Argentina trying to access maternal health services in a local clinic, but she is unable to provide a physical identification card that matches the name on her insurance card during an emergency visit…(More)”.
