GOVERNMENT TO IMPLEMENT NEW ePASSPORT AND BECOMES NEWEST MEMBER OF ICAO PKD
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, September 18, 2024 – The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis will be migrating to a new ePassport Issuing Control System (epics), scheduled to be deployed in November, 2024. Officials from the Ministry of National Security, including Permanent Secretary Glenroy Blanchette, Chief Immigration Officer Sheldon Jeffers and Passport Office Supervisor Floretta Saunders, recently travelled to Canada and met with the principals of Canadian Bank Note.
“Not only will this ePICS transition to a paperless or near-paperless operating environment, but it will also introduce a redesigned ePassport, with enhanced security features, highlighting our culture, history and landmarks in both St Kitts and Nevis,” said Chief Immigration Officer Sheldon Jeffers.
CIO Jeffers also noted that the Government of St Kitts and Nevis, with the introduction of its new design and polycarbonate data page, is pleased to announce its participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Public Key Directory (PKD).
“Through several consultations and working closely with Canadian Bank Note (CBN), our service provider of nearly two decades, the Ministry of National Security registered with ICAO on August 15th, 2024 to be a participant of the Public Key Directory. On September 5th, 2024 the federation became the newest member of ICAO PKD out of one hundred and ninety-three (193) member countries worldwide, and only the third country in CARICOM,” Jeffers added.
The PKD is an ICAO recommendation that ensures global interoperability of ePassport’s. This allows our passports to be authenticated in real time, nationally and at foreign borders, and further strengthens its integrity by verifying the digital information stored in the chip of the passport.
The Public Key Directory (PKD) is a central repository for exchanging the information required to authenticate electronic Machine-Readable Travel Documents (eMRTDs) such as ePassports, electronic ID cards and Visible Digital Seals. ePassports play a particular crucial role as the principal identity document used in international travel. The security and facilitation advantages of ePassports are grounded in the presence of an integrated closed-circuit chip. However, those benefits can only be realized when border control authenticates the chip. If the chip is not authenticated at border control, the ePassport has little advantage.
“These upgrades to our passport and issuing systems are in line with ICAO Doc 9303, which establishes the standardized specifications for machine readable travel documents, ensuring global interoperability and enhancing the security and efficiency of international travel,” said Permanent Secretary Glenroy Blanchette.
This is a significant milestone for our national security as it reinforces the government’s commitment to the ease of travel of all citizens while not compromising safety and security.
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