Certification of Ghana Card as e-passport not our role, ICAO says
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has said it is not within its role to certify Ghana’s National Identity card, the Ghana Card, as an electronic passport.
Reacting to local media reports that it had agreed that the Ghana Card, is equivalent to an electronic passport, the ICAO clarified that that decision can only be made by Ghana’s government as “it is the sovereign right of each individual state to decide upon its entry and exit requirements and the documents that need to be presented by those travelling to and/or from its territory”.
In a Twitter thread on Friday, February 11, the United Nations specialized agency for civil aviation emphasized that it is not its role to certify the use of a member’s ID card for international travel in place of a passport.
“Any decision to accept such alternative travel identity document is made by the receiving state itself.”
ICAO is aware of recent and incorrect media reports claiming that ICAO has agreed that the Ghanaian ID card is equivalent to an ePassport. However, it is not ICAO’s role to certify the use of a State’s Identity Card for international travel in place of a passport.
— ICAO (@icao) February 11, 2022
It is the sovereign right of each individual State to decide upon its entry and exit requirements and the documents that need to be presented by those travelling to and/or from its territory.
— ICAO (@icao) February 11, 2022
A number of States worldwide accept specified national ID cards as identity documents during air travel based on bilateral agreement between issuing and receiving states. *Any* decision to accept such alternative travel identity documents is made by the receiving state itself.
— ICAO (@icao) February 11, 2022
This comes after ICAO on Wednesday, February 9 held a ceremony to celebrate the completion of Ghana’s effort to make the Ghana Card an e-passport, a project spearheaded by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
ICAO had even congratulated Ghana for its decision to join the Public Key Directory (PKD).
