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Bion Biometrics is the only official test laboratory for the International Labour Organization’s Seafarers’ Identify Documents (SIDs).
In February 2005, with the final passage of Convention No. 185, the International Labour Organization (ILO) introduced the world’s first international interoperable biometrics system. This convention modernized the previous 1958 convention and established standards for all SIDs, based on biometric (fingerprint) data. It required all ratifying member states to issue interoperable biometric identity documents to all seafarers that were citizens or residents of that state.
The ILO introduced these new SID standards at the request of the International Maritime Organization, as part of the International Ship and Port Security Code (July 2004), which established new regulations designed to detect, deter and reduce threats to international security in the maritime industries.
In March 2004, after extensive discussions with member States, the ILO adopted the technical standard ILO SID-0002 Finger Minutiae-Based Biometric Profile for Seafarers’ Identity Documents. ISO draft standards (from October 2003) were used for the biometric storage format. Slight modifications were required to accommodate for the storage of two fingerprint templates on a two-dimensional PDF417 barcode.
Convention No. 185 and its associated technical standards specify:
- finger minutiae-based biometric requirements (e.g., fingerprint enrolment, fingerprint capture and the fingerprint template format)
- bar code requirements (e.g., bar code format, printer technology and printing specifications, reader technology and bar code physical characteristics)
- identity verification requirements
- database requirements
Since the ISO standards were relatively new and there were no biometric products with proven interoperability, ILO established the ILO SID Biometric Testing Campaign. Dr. John Campbell, of Bion Biometrics, contributed his expertise to this campaign and co-authored its report outlining the standards and test specifications and results. (ILO Seafarers’ Identity Documents
Biometric Testing Campaign Report, Part 1 and Part 2
Bion Biometrics was tasked with conducting these tests. A two-stage testing process was developed. Biometric products, consisting of a biometric algorithm and sensor pairs, were initially evaluated for conformance and matching performance. Only when a product passed this stage was it tested onboard a seafaring vessel. After certain issues in software interoperability were resolved, three out of the seven products that reached the onboard testing stage were able to meet the ILO interoperable performance threshold. The final results were reviewed by the ISO/IEC JTC-1 SC 37 subcommittee on biometric standards and these three products were placed on the ILO SID Approved Products List.
Bion Biometrics continues to administer ILO approved testing including the recently completed ISBIT-3 tests.
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