All over the world, in countries with highly-divergent legal cultures, a concerted effort is being made to improve identity management and tighten up policies governing identity verification. The objective: to enhance security. Countries that lack or make limited use of compulsory identification, including the Netherlands, are now considering its introduction. At the same time, countries whose laws do not stipulate compulsory proof of identity, such as the United Kingdom, are in the process of introducing remedial measures. Many countries are also considering the inclusion of a biometric feature in ID cards and travel documents. Dr J.H.A.M. Grijpink (economist and lawyer by education and information strategist by profession) is Principle Advisor at the Strategy Development Department of the Netherlands Ministry of Justice. He obtained a post- graduate degree in management consultancy from SIOO and a Ph.D. from the Technical University of Eindhoven in 1975 and 1997 respectively. He is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and a Registered Information Expert (RI).