After five years of preparation, the Marshall Islands officially launched its new ePassport earlier this month at a ceremony at Marshall Islands Resort’s Melele Room.
“Today marks a historic milestone in the journey of our young Republic,” said Attorney General Bernard Adiniwin. “As we officially launch the Republic of the Marshall Islands Electronic Passport, we are not just upgrading a travel document; we are anchoring our nation firmly in the digital age.”
Adiniwin said the planning for this began literally on his first day as the Attorney General in 2021 “when…I was informed that our passport printer was down.”
He noted that the AG Office’s IT Director Ayson Maddison “was able to continuously fix it so we can continue to issue passports. It was clear, however, following subsequent shutdowns in 2022 and 2023, that any creative repairs of a very outdated passport system were band-aid solutions.”
The office began pursuing a permanent fix. This resulted in the AG’s Office partnering with a new system integrator and the development of a custom-built issuance system and travel documents. A soft launch of the current and interim passports occurred in March 2024, which led to the launch earlier this month.
“This state-of-the-art ePassport represents a major leap forward in our global connectivity and represents an important investment in the security of our citizens and faster border control inspection,” the AG said. “By integrating advanced biometric technology and embedded microchips, we are safeguarding the identities of our citizens and elevating the international prestige of the Marshallese passport, including the elimination of fraudulent travel documents. Moreover, our citizens are now assured of a modern, secure, and reliable passport service.”
Adiniwin thanked a lot of people, noting that the development of the ePassport spanned two presidential administrations.
He recognized former President and former Justice Minister and current Nitijela Member Kessai H. Note, former Justice Minister and current Nitijela Member Jack Ading, former Justice Minister and current Nitijela Member Joe Bejang, current Justice Minister Wisely Zackhras, Director of Passport and Citizenship Division Whitney Loeak, former Deputy Attorney General Johnathen Kawakami, and former Chief of the Civil Division Lometo Philippo.
Adiniwin also thanked Alele Musuem and Waan Aelõñ in Majel “for their contributions and guidance on the art designs,” the Customary Law and Language Commission “for their efforts in the Marshallese translations,” and the Marshall Islands National Telecommunications Authority “for their continuous technical support.”
He honored IT Director Ayson, “who led the project to become what it is today.”
Adiniwin said the RMI is the first country in Micronesia to issue an ePassport.