Nearly one person in eight who share this planet do not exist in legal terms. Because they simply have no official identity. They are therefore often deprived of their most basic rights such as health care and education. Among these unfortunate people a great many are children, making this situation even more dramatic. Most of them live in Africa and Asia. The majority of these people are excluded from society. As a result, an increasing number of women and children are trafficked for domestic, labour or sexual exploitation purposes. According to the World Bank Group's latest study, an estimated 1.1 billion people around the globe are without IDs and therefore have no access to healthcare, education, social benefits or basic financial services. The numbers quoted by the World Bank are accurate: 78% live in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia and 40% are children under the age of 18 and one in six are under the age of 5. It must be emphasized, however, that significant progress, especially in India, has been made. That country's efforts in such a highly sensitive area have been recognized by the international community.

Mo Tailland / 10th November 2017