The ID4Africa 2026 Conference will take place at the Parc des Expositions d’Abidjan, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from May 12 to 15, 2026, hosted in collaboration with the Ivorian government and the national civil registration and identity agency (ONECI). The AGM brings together African government officials, development agencies, industry innovators, and civil society to explore strategies for building robust and inclusive identity ecosystems. You can check the full programme here.

On Day 4 (14:30 – 17:00), a session will explore how government-led digital foundational ID systems can responsibly include refugees, stateless persons, and individuals at risk of statelessness as part of national efforts toward universal legal identity and durable solutions. Drawing on African country experiences, it will examine how protection-sensitive legal, governance, and data-sharing frameworks enable the issuance of trusted legal ID credentials with lifelong unique identifiers, unlocking access to public and digital services while safeguarding rights. The discussion will also touch upon pathways for transitioning from humanitarian registration systems to national ID ecosystems, as well as approaches to preventing and reducing statelessness through integrated civil registration and referral mechanisms.

The 2026 AGM theme will mark a clear shift: from a narrow focus on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to the broader vision of Digital Public Ecosystems (DPEs). This transition recognizes that sustainable digital transformation rests on the interplay of human, legal, institutional and sectoral dimensions, supported by technical systems. By embracing an ecosystem approach, we acknowledge the diversity of assets, ensure interoperability across boundaries and establish collective governance that fosters trust and resilience.