Feds ‘Committed’ to Completing WEF-Initiated Digital ID Project, Says Transport Canada

Travellers at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Dec. 16, 2021. The Canadian Press/Tijana Martin

Canada’s participation in a World Economic Forum (WEF) initiative to test digital ID in travel had stalled due to the pandemic, but Transport Canada says the entities involved are committed to bringing the project to a close.

“All partners remain committed to working together to close out the project and disseminate the knowledge gained through this initiative,” Transport Canada spokesperson Hicham Ayoun told The Epoch Times.

He said that during the pause, partners in the aviation industry proceeded with the testing of advanced technologies such as biometrics and digital identity credentials, with the intention of reducing or replacing the “analogue” processes currently in place.

The Known Traveller Digital Identity (KTDI) aviation industry partners include Montreal Trudeau and Toronto Pearson airports, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Air Canada, and Royal Dutch Airlines.

Other partners include the Netherlands, and IT and services firm Accenture.

The Dutch government said last fall there was no concrete plan to implement the KTDI pilot, but it’s current stance is unknown. A request for information was sent to the Dutch government.

Ayoun pointed to a 2021 WEF white paper, “Accelerating the Transition to Digital Credentials for Travel,” saying the KTDI was “instrumental” for the lessons learned as outlined in the paper.

The WEF takes credit in the paper for designing and building with its partners the first public-private “ecosystem” to test the technologies.

“As the use of verifiable documents (e.g. government-issued identity vaccination certificates, proof of negative COVID-19 tests) becomes a requirement for safe crossborder movement, global demand for trusted digital credentials across sectors and borders has surged,” the paper says.

Ayoun said details on new pilot projects involving Canadian airports and carriers will be available this spring, but he didn’t mention whether those involve outside entities.

This is a current area of focus for the department, he said, with the intent to streamline passengers’ journeys.

Canada is involved in another digital ID project with the WEF under the Agile Nations network, which seeks to herald the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” through the streamlining of regulations to allow new technologies to proliferate.

The WEF recently held its annual meeting in Davos, and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and International Trade Minister Mary Ng participated in panel discussions.

Freeland also attended a meeting of the WEF board of trustees, of which she is a member.

No department involved in organizing the Canadian delegation’s visit has responded to questions from The Epoch Times.

The WEF is an organization which brings together leaders in fields such as politics, industry, and activism.