WILLEMSTAD – The Council of Advice (RvA) has issued strong criticism of the government’s proposed amendment to the National Decree on the model of the identity card (sédula). According to the advisory body, the government cannot determine by decree which personal data—such as marital status or gender designation—appear on an identity card. Such matters must first be regulated through amendments to the Civil Code.

The RvA pointed out that abbreviations like “a/v” (surviving partner), “g/v” (divorced from), or “b/v” (separated registered partner) cannot simply be added to identity documents. These entries carry legal implications and therefore require a higher level of legal authority.

The Council also advised the government to correct, free of charge, identity cards that currently list gender as “O” (undetermined) with the consent of the cardholder. In addition, it suggested a practical change: for unknown birthdates, the entry “XX XX XX” should be used instead of zeros, to make the registration clearer.

With this advice, the RvA underscored that the government must take greater care in establishing the legal framework for identity cards. Only by amending the National Ordinance on Identity Cards—and if necessary, the Civil Code—can the risk be avoided that data listed on IDs might conflict with existing legislation.