By: Omar Silva I Editor/Publisher

National Perspective Belize I Digital 2025

www.nationalperspectivebz.com

Belize City: Sunday 20th July 2025

In 1981, Belize achieved political independence. Yet, 44 years later, the country still lacks a comprehensive National Identification (ID) System — a fundamental instrument of modern governance. Despite decades of promises, ministerial announcements, and pilot programs, Belize remains without a secure, legally recognized identification card that affirms citizenship and streamlines access to government services.

The latest effort — a project under the Ministry of E-Governance — has just concluded its pilot phase involving 500 participants over six months. CEO Jose Urbina has confirmed Cabinet's approval to proceed with a national rollout within the next three years. However, even this timeline remains contingent on due diligence steps including procurement approvals, legal reviews, and legislative backing.

“We need to also set the foundation... We know that a legal review is required,” said Urbina. “So that’s going to be one of our priorities — to develop the legislation needed to substantiate and back the national ID.”

But the question remains: Why has such a seemingly basic system — which could integrate birth records, social security, citizenship status, and biometrics — eluded successive governments since Independence?

Regional Commitments, Local Inaction

The delay is not for lack of opportunity or regional alignment. During Belize’s hosting of the SICA Member States Meeting in 2014 in Placencia and San Pedro, the region discussed the possibility of a common identification system across Central America. Yet, while neighbors have made strides, Belize continues to rely on fragmented, functional IDs — a patchwork of voter IDs, Social Security cards, and driver’s licenses, none of which provide comprehensive identification or meet international security standards.

The Case for Integration

Critics of the current rollout argue that existing IDs, especially the Social Security card, should suffice. But CEO Urbina refuted this notion, noting that these cards serve limited, functional purposes — employment tracking, driving privileges, or electoral voting — not national identity.

“The Social Security card is a functional ID… The national ID is a secure identification card that identifies you as a person, as a Belizean or a resident,” said Urbina. “It includes biometric features, which is what differentiates it.”

A true National ID would consolidate multiple data sources: birth records (from both hospitals and certified midwifery), statistical birth registration, Social Security contributions, and parental information. It would then encode this data into a single, biometric card that is legally recognized and digitally secured.

A Missed Opportunity for Nation-Building

Despite technological advances, the absence of political will has stymied the National ID’s implementation. Successive governments — both PUP and UDP — have made announcements, commissioned studies, and conducted pilots, but none have delivered a working system.

This absence has real consequences:

• Immigration profiling, especially of Hispanic populations, continues unchecked due to lack of clear national identification.
• Public services suffer from inefficient record-keeping and fraud.
• National security remains compromised by a lack of centralized population data.

Worse still, the void has been filled by ad hoc verification systems, each dependent on the issuing authority's records — none of which are cross-integrated.

What’s Needed Now: A Legislative Backbone

Urbina acknowledges that legislative action is still missing — a key factor that has derailed prior attempts. “We know that a legal review is required… to develop the legislation needed,” he said. The Ministry plans to tender legal consultations for this purpose.

But unless Belizeans demand accountability and timelines, this project could become yet another file in the Cabinet’s archive of unfulfilled national projects.

Conclusion: A New Beginning Must Start at Birth

If Belize is to truly modernize, it must begin with a new National ID system rooted in birth registration. Every child born in Belize — whether in a hospital or under private midwifery — should have their data captured and entered into the ID system. Adults should then supply or validate their data to be encoded into this new secure platform.

44 years is long enough. The next three years must not be wasted.