Digital identity is the cornerstone of digital transformation. It enables individuals to participate fully in modern society while also providing governments and institutions with the means to deliver trusted, inclusive and efficient services. Yet identity alone cannot thrive in isolation. For digital identity to realize its full potential, it must operate within ecosystems that connect people, institutions, technologies and safeguards.

The term “ecosystem” best captures this vision. Unlike infrastructure, which suggests rigidity and a purely technical foundation, an ecosystem embraces the full spectrum of development – human factors, legal frameworks, safeguards and governance. It also recognizes that no single system can drive progress on its own. Instead, multiple assets, including legacy systems – developed at different times, for diverse purposes and across sectors – may need to coexist, interoperate and be collectively governed to serve the common good. Within this broader frame, digital identity emerges as the foundational pillar, anchoring the trust and interoperability that make digital public ecosystems work.

This is the exciting theme of our 2026 Annual General Meeting. Together, we will explore how governments, civil society, development partners and the private sector can collaborate to advance digital identity in context – examining its progress, challenges and opportunities as it becomes fully embedded within Digital Public Ecosystems (DPEs).