The United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have rolled out biometric Digital Certificate of Entitlement (DCE) kiosks in 18 country offices to modernize proof-of-life checks for retirees and beneficiaries. The deployment spans 12 African and six Asian locations and is expected to expand further as the agencies look to streamline benefit delivery.
The DCE system replaces a largely manual process that required retirees to submit paper forms or appear in person, a model that often led to delays and benefits suspensions. The new approach uses a blockchain-backed digital ID architecture and biometric verification to confirm both identity and presence. Retirees can enroll and verify at kiosks and on tablets equipped with the DCE software, with local support staff available to assist. This move aligns with a growing international trend toward digital verification for social services, similar to how Namibia joined the biometric pensioner verification trend to reduce fraud and in-person visits for elderly beneficiaries.
UNJSPF notes that the system is particularly important for retirees who rely on After-Service Health Insurance, since interruptions in proof-of-life submission can disrupt coverage. By digitizing these processes, the fund aims to improve continuity of benefits and reduce administrative friction. The project reflects similar initiatives in the region, such as when Pakistan announced plans to launch a facial recognition system to verify elderly pensioners and prevent ghost beneficiary fraud.
The fund has also been promoting the DCE at events such as Interpol’s AI in Digital Forensics conference, highlighting privacy-by-design principles and independent validation. This focus on remote, secure verification is becoming a standard for large-scale entitlement programs, paralleling efforts like when India launched facial recognition for digital pension accounts to allow retirees to complete life certificates from home. In other jurisdictions, similar controls are being applied to credit and lending, such as the initiative where Brazil moved to require biometric verification for social security loans to curb identity theft.
Sources: UNJSPF/UNDP partnership announcement, UNJSPF Digital Certificate of Entitlement
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
