US embassy cable - 03ROME3682

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 
 
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SUMMARY 
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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. 
 
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DISCUSSION 
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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 
 
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 2003ROME03682 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED