International Civil Aviation Organization

New Technologies Work Group
2010/2011 Request for Information

1. BACKGROUND

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Technical Advisory Group on Machine-Readable Travel Documents (TAG MRTD) is responsible for the development of specifications for travel documents with the goal of global interoperability.  In addition, the TAG MRTD seeks to advise ICAO on technology issues related to the issuance and use of machine-readable travel documents. 

The TAG MRTD, through its New Technologies Working Group (NTWG), issues an RFI every three years in order to keep abreast of new and improving technologies.  Relevant information gathered during the RFI process is summarised and shared among the 192 ICAO Contracting States.  ICAO also considers this information when international standards are developed.

As an interested body, the EU Commission has requested that ICAO consider including their needs in this RFI, as the EU Commission is also seeking information on technologies that may be used in future visas / residence permits.

2. AREAS OF INTEREST

Information regarding technologies that may be used in machine-readable passports, visas and card-based travel documents is sought for consideration.  The technologies sought are to assist in the following areas:

  • assessment of applicant eligibility
  • document security and production
  • linking documents to holders/bearers
  • providing reliable authentication of genuine documents
  • facilitating secure and reliable transit of travellers through airports, seaports and other international border control points.

Interested parties are invited to provide technical, application environment and pricing information for technologies in the following categories:

Category

Requirement

Travel Document Security Concepts (including identity and residence permits, stick-in vignettes and stand alone cards).

Document security concepts, which at the point of document personalization and/or at the point of document manufacture, may be used to protect on-board data from alteration or simulation.  This includes document security features, innovative data page materials, substrates, binding materials and adhesives, and security inks, among other approaches.

Machine Assisted Security Features

Machine verifiable security features that an issuing and/or inspection authority may use for its own purposes as an aid to the authentication of a travel document. RFI seeks information on three main categories of machine verifiable security features.

  • Structure feature: A structure feature is a security feature containing some form of verifiable information based on the physical construction of the feature.
  • Substance feature: A substance feature involves the identification of a defined characteristic of a substance used in the construction of the feature.
  • Data feature: The visible image of the MRP data page may contain information which may be detected by a suitable device built into the reader.

The proposed solutions shall also take into account the possibilities of state-of-the art full page document scanners with RF capability.  Proposals dealing with advance document databases using pattern recognition capabilities to detect fraudulent documents are also welcomed.

Photograph Security Concepts and Image Enhancement Technologies`

With the advent of high-resolution digital cameras, powerful personal computers and sophisticated photo-editing software, the manipulation of photos aiming at the creation of biometric look-alikes is becoming more common.  This RFI seeks information on mathematical and computational algorithms that secure digital photos and aid in the detection of tampering in digital media.  We are interested in techniques to differentiate between photographic and photorealistic images and methods to mitigate techniques used for the metamorphosis of one image to another.

E-Commerce and PKI

Electronic on-line systems that may be applied to secure Internet based passport and visa application processes.

Secure communications for multilateral data-sharing.

New and emerging PKI concepts.

Emerging Encryption Techniques

Information on developing algorithms and reasoning techniques related to cryptography focused on data integrity and in particular Quantum technology.

Data Storage Media

Data storage media that can be utilized in conjunction with biometric and machine verification technologies and concepts.  Technologies should be supported by data that demonstrate the effectiveness of such techniques.

Data Chip Partitioning and Security

Effective methodology for partitioning data chips. Secure writing and retrieving without compromising the security of the original data is paramount.

Antennae

Receiver coils through which the chip communicates with the reader through an induction technology following ISO 14443 specifications but presents options to the shape of the coils within ID1 parameters to allow for more flexibility in document design.  Additionally, information is sought in regard to dual-interface capability

Self-Service Facilitation

Technologies and processes suitable for automated self-identification at international borders and/or entitlement facilities that will enable either unattended border crossing or program enrolment using concepts of chip enabled passports.

Identity Management

Products that can discern obvious and non-obvious relationships between data sets in multiple databases.

Anonymous entity resolution to be used in data sharing arrangements.

Pattern recognition for applicant and staff behaviours to assist in the identification of external and internal fraud.

Tools and services to improve the security and integrity of breeder documents.

3. CONSIDERATIONS

Interested parties must present their technologies in the context of ICAO Document 9303, which prescribes international format and on-board data storage standards for machine-readable passports, visas, and other official machine-readable travel documents.  Interested parties must also be able to substantiate any claims related to performance of the technology proposed.

Proposals will be reviewed against a variety of qualitative and quantitative factors, depending on the category.  Generally, this will include such aspects as cost, innovation, and compatibility with current and future document issuance and border control processes. Dependant technologies, reliability, accuracy and speed are also factors that may be considered by the selection panel.

Interested parties should also recognise thatin the application of these technologies, the NTWG panel will give particular consideration to the ICAO goals of facilitation, security, and global interoperability.

4. SUBMISSIONS

Written responses to this RFI must be provided by 31 March 2011 to:

Annette Offenberger, RFI Coordinator
ICAO New Technologies Working Group
c/o New Zealand Passport Office
80 Haymarket
London, SW1 Y4TQ
United Kingdom
Landline:  +44 207 968 2736
Fax:  +44 207 968 2739
Email:  annette.offenberger@dia.govt.nz

Supporting information and descriptive literature may be provided as part of the response. However, a succinctly written three (3) page summary paper must be included in all responses.  Submissions that do not include this summary paper will not be considered. 

The international selection panel will be reviewing material through virtual/electronic means.  All summary papers and additional information must be submitted in a format compatible with this approach. 

The summary papers will be used to form a compilation of technology information, which can then be provided to ICAO Contracting States and to the EU Commission.  The format, background material on the requirements, and instructions for completion of the summary paper can be downloaded at www.passports.govt.nz/icao-rfi.

Following the receipt of summary sheets, descriptive literature and information, vendors will be invited to make oral presentations to government members of the New Technologies Working Group, representatives of ICAO Contracting States and the EU Commission.  Oral presentations are planned for the week of 6 - 10 June, 2011 in Ispra, Italy.

Interested parties are advised that both ICAO and the EU Commission are under no obligation to designate any standard or take any further action with any party as a result of this Request for Information.  Summary sheets supplied in response to this RFI will be made available to Contracting States.  Accompanying information and descriptive literature may also be made available to Contracting States.  With the exception of the summary sheets, any other information that is considered non-disclosable to all ICAO Contracting States should be identified as such.  Non-disclosable information will be retained exclusively for the use of the government members of the ICAO New Technologies Working Group.

Requests for copies of ICAO standards documents (ICAO Document 9303, Parts 1 to 3) should be directed to:  http://www2.icao.int/en/MRTD/Pages/Doc9393.aspx

This Request for Information is placed by the New Zealand Passport Office, Department of Internal Affairs in furtherance of its participation in the TAG/MRTD also being a contracting State of ICAO, a United Nations specialised agency.  The New Zealand Government and its employees accept no responsibility for the actions or undertakings of ICAO, ICAO participants, or ICAO staff.