Sudan Joins ICAO Global Electronic Key Directory, Boosting Credibility of Its E-Passport
Sudan Events – Agencies
In a move that strengthens Sudan’s position within the global civil aviation system, a Sudanese delegation in Montreal, Canada, received the official certificate confirming the inclusion of Sudan’s Country Signing Certification Authority (CSCA) key in the Public Key Directory (PKD) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The inclusion enables international recognition of the electronic signature embedded in Sudan’s machine-readable passports and allows their authenticity to be verified at airports and border crossings worldwide.
The handover ceremony took place at ICAO headquarters in Montreal. The certificate was received by the head of the Sudanese delegation and Director of the Passports and Civil Registry Authority, Lt. Gen. (Legal) Osman Mohamed Al-Hassan Dinkawi. The event was attended by Sudan’s Chargé d’Affaires in Canada, Ambassador Dr. Bakhit Dahiya; the representative of the Ministry of Telecommunications and Digital Transformation, Eng. Hamid Yousif Abdelrahman; Director of the E-Passport Project, Col. Eng. Qutaiba Abdullah Al-Badawi; Sudan’s Permanent Representative to ICAO, Ambassador Imad Eddin Al-Haj; and members of the diplomatic mission.
Lt. Gen. Dinkawi described the inclusion of Sudan’s key in ICAO’s global directory as a strategic step toward enhancing international recognition of the Sudanese electronic passport. He emphasized that the achievement raises security and reliability standards and contributes to facilitating the movement of Sudanese citizens across international borders and airports.
He added that the Ministry of Interior will immediately begin issuing a more robust and secure Sudanese passport, reflecting national sovereignty and complying with the highest internationally approved technical standards, following the adoption of electronic signature and digital verification systems in accordance with ICAO regulations.
In a related development, the Sudanese delegation held extensive talks with ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar, during which they outlined Sudan’s readiness to enter a new phase in civil aviation. The delegation affirmed its aspiration to play an active role in the Arab and African regions, supported by modern information and technological infrastructure.
For his part, Ambassador Dr. Bakhit Dahiya described the meeting as reflecting the advancement of Sudan’s relations with international organizations amid the country’s ongoing diplomatic thaw. He stressed that cooperation with ICAO opens broad prospects for technical and institutional partnership.
The delegation concluded its visit with a tour of the International Civil Aviation archival exhibition at ICAO headquarters, reviewing the history and global development of the aviation industry. The representative of the Ministry of Telecommunications and Digital Transformation affirmed that the inclusion of Sudan’s key in the global directory represents a strong boost to the country’s technical capabilities and embodies international confidence in its national institutions.
Source: Elaph
