Cambodia - Document Verification

This video details Cambodia’s implementation of Verify.gov.kh, a national document verification platform built on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) principles. It explains how this system addresses challenges related to the lack of a national digital ID and low trust in digital documents, ultimately simplifying public service delivery for citizens and government. The practical value lies in demonstrating a successful DPI use case that enhances efficiency, reduces costs, improves security, and enables cross-border interoperability, offering valuable lessons for other countries pursuing digital transformation.

Synthesized Summary

Chea Sereyvath, Secretary General of Cambodia’s Digital Government Committee, explains the development and impact of Verify.gov.kh. Faced with challenges including the absence of a unified digital ID, low digital literacy, fragmented responsibilities across ministries, and low trust in digital documents, Cambodia needed a way to make digital records legally valid and reliable. Traditional digitization efforts often failed as citizens still required physical, notarized copies, incurring time and cost.

The solution was Verify.gov.kh (accessible via the UVC - Universal Verify Credential app), a DPI platform that uses verified credentials. This system gives digital documents the same legal standing as their physical, stamped counterparts. Citizens can store verified documents like high school certificates, driver’s licenses, or national IDs digitally (e.g., on their phone) or print legally valid copies, eliminating the need for physical originals or costly notarization. This significantly reduces bureaucracy and saves time and money.

The platform serves as a horizontal solution, a core piece of infrastructure usable by various ministries and even across borders (demonstrated through collaborations with Laos, Timor-Leste, and Singapore). This DPI approach contrasts with previous failed attempts at siloed application development by individual ministries, proving more cost-effective, secure, sustainable, and conducive to a seamless citizen experience. The key to success involved the central Digital Government Committee acting as an enabler, providing shared tools, standards, infrastructure, and training, rather than dictating technology choices or controlling ministry budgets.

Key Learnings & Recommendations

• Lack of Digital ID and trust in digital documents significantly hinders digital transformation and efficient public service delivery. [01:14]
• Verify.gov.kh uses verified credentials to establish legal equivalence between digital and physical documents, building trust. [01:47], [02:00]
• Digital documents (verified credentials) issued via the platform can be stored digitally or printed legally, reducing reliance on physical originals and costly, time-consuming notarization. [02:13], [02:49]
• The platform simplifies critical processes for citizens, such as using academic certificates domestically or abroad, or presenting essential travel/identity documents to authorities. [02:37], [03:20], [07:26]
• Verify.gov.kh (UVC) functions as a national gateway, enabling cross-border document verification and data exchange, facilitating international interactions (e.g., scholarships, workforce mobility). [04:26], [07:05]
• A DPI approach focusing on shared, horizontal solutions (like document verification) is more effective, cost-efficient, secure, and sustainable than developing siloed applications within each ministry. [18:25], [20:18], [20:59]
• Successful DPI adoption requires a central body to act as an enabler—providing core infrastructure, standards, tools (like shared components), and training—empowering ministries without controlling their budgets or specific application choices. [14:37], [15:12], [31:22]
• DPI significantly reduces government and citizen costs, enhances cybersecurity through centralized management, and creates a harmonized, seamless user experience across different public services. [20:18], [20:33], [22:16]
• Countries with successful DPI should make their solutions shareable (beyond just open source code) to help other nations, especially those with limited resources, accelerate their digital transformation without reinventing the wheel. [30:58], [35:21]

Key Visual Information

• Verify.gov.kh Logo: [01:51], [04:50] The logo for the platform is displayed, visually reinforcing the central topic of the discussion.
• Map of Cambodia: [00:08], [04:46], etc. A map graphic highlighting Cambodia is consistently shown, indicating the geographical context of the case study.

Key Questions Addressed or Raised

Questions Addressed:

• How did Cambodia address the lack of trust in digital documents without a national digital ID? [01:43]
• How can digital documents achieve legal parity with physical, stamped originals? [01:57]
• How does the Verify.gov.kh document verification platform benefit public services and citizens? [04:40]
• What are the practical benefits of a DPI approach compared to traditional, siloed digitization efforts? [18:19]
• What role did different stakeholders (DGC, Ministries, Prime Minister) play in the implementation journey? [11:11], [13:00], [14:37]

Questions Raised:

• How can countries make their successful DPI solutions easily shareable and adaptable for other nations to use, preventing redundant efforts globally? [36:02]

Stated or Implied Applications

• Academic Credential Verification: Verifying high school and university diplomas for domestic use or international applications (e.g., scholarships abroad) without needing physical copies or notarization. [02:41], [06:44]
• Identity & License Verification: Allowing citizens to legally use digital versions or printouts of national IDs, driver’s licenses, and car licenses for official purposes, including police checks. [03:24]
• Criminal Record Verification: Facilitating the verification of criminal records for specific purposes like workforce applications in other countries (e.g., Korea). [07:26]
• Streamlining Public Services: Reducing the need for physical document submission and travel for various government services. [05:21], [24:20]
• Cross-Border Data Exchange: Enabling secure and verified document exchange between Cambodia and partner countries (Laos, Timor-Leste, Singapore). [07:05], [08:30]
• Business Registration/Setup: Implied application in simplifying processes requiring document verification for businesses. [12:49]
• Foundation for Broader Digital Transformation: Serving as a core building block for future digital government services. [17:57]

Key Terminology Defined

• Verify.gov.kh: Cambodia’s national document verification platform, built using DPI principles to give digital documents legal validity. [01:50]
• UVC (Universal Verify Credential): The mobile application and underlying platform associated with Verify.gov.kh, enabling digital document issuance, storage, and verification. [08:12], [08:21]
• Verified Credentials: Digital documents issued and managed via the UVC/Verify.gov.kh platform that carry the same legal weight as physical originals with official stamps. [03:05]
• DPI (Digital Public Infrastructure): An approach to building foundational, shared digital systems (e.g., verification, ID, payments) that can be reused across different government services and sectors, promoting interoperability, efficiency, and innovation. [19:06], [31:07]
• Horizontal Solution: A reusable, foundational digital component or service (like Verify.gov.kh, Form.gov.kh, Flow.gov.kh) provided centrally by the DGC for use by multiple ministries. [14:40], [21:40]
• DTU (Digital Transformation Unit): Dedicated teams within each Cambodian ministry responsible for driving digital transformation efforts, utilizing the central DPI components provided by DGC. [16:17]
• Shareable Solution: Making not just the code (open source) but the entire solution (architecture, learnings, implementation strategy) available and adaptable for other countries. [10:04], [35:21]

Timestamped Outline / Chapters

• [00:08] - Introduction: Speaker Chea Sereyvath & Role in Cambodia’s Digital Government
• [01:05] - Context: Challenges (No Digital ID, Low Trust, Coordination Issues)
• [01:47] - Solution: Introducing Verify.gov.kh Platform
• [02:13] - Framework: Physical vs. Digital Legal Validity
• [02:37] - Use Case 1: High School Certificates & Notarization Problem
• [03:20] - Use Case 2: Travel Documents (ID, Licenses) & Verified Credentials
• [04:26] - Cross-Border Applications (Laos, Timor-Leste, Singapore)
• [05:04] - Impact on Public Services & Platform Adoption Statistics
• [11:11] - History: Previous Digitization Attempts (NIDA) & Challenges
• [12:49] - Catalyst: Prime Minister’s Mandate & MEF’s Role
• [14:37] - The Hybrid DPI Approach: DGC as Enabler, Horizontal Solutions
• [16:17] - Stakeholder Collaboration: DGC and Ministry DTUs
• [18:19] - Comparing DPI Benefits to Traditional Digitization
• [23:05] - Specific Public Service Examples & Citizen Benefits
• [30:20] - Key Messages for Decision Makers in Other Countries
• [35:21] - Importance of Shareable Solutions (Beyond Open Source)

Related Resources Mentioned

• Form.gov.kh (Digital Form Builder) [27:34]
• Flow.gov.kh (Workflow Automation) [27:48]
• Rachana (Design System) [28:25]
• Digital Government Data Center [28:47]
• DIX (Domestic Internet Exchange) [28:53]