WFP READOUT ON THE USE OF BIOMETRICS FOR

UNCLAS ROME 003682 SIPDIS FROM US MISSION IN ROME STATE FOR A/S DEWEY GENEVA FOR RMA BRUSSELS FOR LERNER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PHUM EAID TZ PK WFP SUBJECT: WFP READOUT ON THE USE OF BIOMETRICS FOR REFUGEE REGISTRATION REF: (A) DAR ES SALAAM 01179 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. U.S. MISSION ROME SOUGHT AND RECEIVED INPUT FROM THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME (WFP) REGARDING THE REGISTRATION OF REFUGEES USING BIOMETRICS. ALTHOUGH THE PAKISTAN CASE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AS SUCCESSFUL AS REPORTED, WFP CONSIDERS THAT SUCH A PROCEDURE MAY BE USEFUL IN THE FUTURE AND THEREFORE WOULD ENDORSE A PILOT PROJECT. END SUMMARY. -------------- DISCUSSION -------------- ¶2. USUN ROME STAFF CONTACTED WFP PERSONNEL FOR TWO READINGS. FIRST, WFP PERSONNEL ROUTINELY INVOLVED WITH MAINTAINING LIAISON WITH UNHCR INFORMED US THAT WFP'S OFFICE IN PAKISTAN SEES THE BENEFIT OF INTRODUCING BIOMETRICS FOR REGISTRATION. HOWEVER, THE WFP OFFICE ALSO NOTES THAT DESPITE REPRESENTATIONS BY UNHCR'S CONSULTANT, WHO PURPORTEDLY FOUND BIOMETRIC REGISTRATION "TECHNICALLY AND FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL," BIOMETRICS IS NOT BEING USED FOR GENERAL REGISTRATION. INSTEAD, IT IS USED FOR REPATRIATION PURPOSES, I.E., TO KEEP NEWLY REPATRIATED PERSONS FROM RETURNING TO REFUGEE CAMPS AND RE-FILING FOR FOOD RATIONS. ¶3. THE WFP LIAISON GROUP ALSO REPORT BEING IN CONTACT WITH THEIR COLLEAGUES IN TANZANIA, WHO ARE AWARE OF THE UNHCR BIOMETRICS REGISTRATION INITIATIVE. WHILE ADVISING US OF THE POSSIBILITY OF UNDER-ESTIMATING THE TIME AND EXPENSE NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT BIOMETRICS, THEY SUPPORT A PILOT PROGRAM. ¶4. WFP STAFF FROM PERHAPS THE MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED SECTOR OF THE ORGANIZATION ALSO RECOMMENDS A PILOT PROJECT BEFORE FULL-SCALE IMPLEMENTATION. ¶5. THIS WFP COMPONENT HAS SEVERAL OBSERVATIONS. FIRST, FROM A TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE, THE EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE TESTED IN A LOW-TECH ENVIRONMENT WITH AN IRREGULAR ELECTRICITY SUPPLY. THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE SIMPLE AND ABLE TO OPERATE IN HARSH CLIMATES, EASY TO REPAIR, LIGHT ENOUGH TO TRANSPORT, AND CAPABLE OF TRANSFERRING DATA IMMEDIATELY BY EMAIL AND STORAGE ON CD-ROM. ¶6. SECOND, THEY ALSO OBSERVE THAT SOME STAKEHOLDERS, PARTICULARLY REFUGEES THEMSELVES AND LOCAL POLITICAL ACTORS, MAY OBJECT TO THE METHODOLOGY. ¶7. THIRD, FROM AN INFORMATION MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE, THE DATA COLLECTED COULD PROVIDE MUCH MORE THAN A REGISTRATION HEADCOUNT. CONCEIVABLY, IT COULD ENTAIL GENDER, AGE, ORIGIN, AND HEALTH-RELATED DATA OF IMMENSE VALUE FOR MANY HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE PURPOSES. ¶8. FOURTH, WFP SUGGESTS THAT A PILOT PROGRAM MIGHT BE TESTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, ICRC, AND CARE. HALL NNNN 2003ROME03682 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED