Creating a universal registry open to all who wish to join, giving them access to a wide range of services that are currently out of reach; and providing one dollar per day to everyone living below the poverty line. This twofold proposal, which may sound utopian, is not as unrealistic as it seems, as shown by a peer‑reviewed article whose authors, Ettore Recchi (CRIS) and Tobias Grohmann (MPC – European University Institute), highlight its main points here.

What does it mean to be invisible? For several hundred million people across the world, it means having no legal proof of identity—no passport, no birth certificate, no way to prove you exist in the eyes of the state. And what does it mean to be incapable of living a dignified life? It means having to get by on less than $6,85 a day, which is the poverty line defined by the Word Bank. In a world wealthier than ever, these two conditions define what we call “scandalous inequalities.”

Our proposal, described in greater detail in an article just published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, suggests tackling both problems—lack of legal identity and hunger—at once. The idea is simple: a Humanity Identity Card (HIC) for every person on Earth, and a Basic Income Supplement (BIS) of $1 a day for the poorest half of the global population. This global social policy would help fulfill basic human rights such as the right to equality before the law, the right to an adequate standard of living, or the right to social protection. As a side-effect, it should also foster a new sense of international solidarity—where wealthier nations, companies, and individuals support the world’s most vulnerable. Not with charity, but through a structured and shared commitment.

Vital and existential inequality

Elaborating on Amartya Sen and Goran Therborn, we focus on two dimensions of inequality: existential and vital. 
Existential inequality is about recognition. Nearly 850 million people, according to the World Bank study, lack any form of legally recognized ID. That means they cannot open bank accounts, register SIM cards in their name, access public services, or even enroll in school in many countries. Without a legal identity, one is not just excluded—one is invisible.
Vital inequality is about resources for survival. Food insecurity remains one of the most persistent and deadly problems today. While global food production is reaching record highs, around 735 million people still go hungry, and millions of children are malnourished. This is not due to food shortages, but to economic exclusion—people simply don’t have the income to access the food that exists. 
These two issues often go hand in hand: the poorest are the least likely to be officially documented. Especially in less developed countries, in the absence of a national safety net, they fall between the cracks of systems meant to protect them.

A card for every human being

The Humanity Identity Card (HIC) is the heart of the proposal. It would be issued by a global body—most likely under the United Nations—and offered to every person, regardless of nationality or immigration status. The card would include biometric information such as a fingerprint or iris scan, along with a photo and basic data like name and date of birth.
With a HIC, rural citizens in low-income countries could register for phone services, through which they might receive support via mobile money—something that currently requires prior registration with an ID card. Likewise, migrants and travelers could request assistance, healthcare, or simply a hotel room without facing refusals or discrimination linked to a stigmatized nationality.
This card would not be tied to any national government. Its only purpose is to verify that the person exists and has rights as a human being. Sensitive data would be stored in a secure UN-run system, inaccessible to governments unless explicitly permitted by the cardholder. This differentiates our proposal from other programs, like the World Bank’s Identification for Development (ID4D) initiative, which works within the boundaries of national identification systems that may be exposed to changing agendas of governments.

$1 a day for half the world population

The second pillar of the proposal is a Basic Income Supplement (BIS). Anyone with an income below $2,500 per year—roughly half the global population—would qualify for an unconditional cash payment of $1 per day. This figure is low enough to be affordable on a global scale but high enough to make a real difference in the daily lives of the poor.
Unlike many welfare systems, this income would be paid directly to individuals, not households, helping address gender disparities and ensuring children and women are not left out. The money would be distributed through mobile payment systems, many of which already operate in low-income countries with remarkable efficiency.
Evidence from other cash transfer programs shows that such support can reduce hunger, improve child health, increase school attendance, and even encourage entrepreneurship. People living in extreme poverty tend to spend extra income wisely—they know best what they need.

Who pays for it?

A global program on this scale won’t be cheap. We estimate the BIS would cost about $1.5 trillion per year. But we sketch a plan for how to fund it. The proposal involves a global tax of just 0.66% on three sources:
    •    The gross domestic product (GDP) of each sovereign state
    •    The market capitalization of companies worth over $1 billion
    •    The total wealth of billionaire households
Altogether, this would generate enough to fund the BIS and administer the HIC, with some surplus left over for operational costs.
Participation would be mandatory for all UN member states, qualifying corporations and individuals. Non-compliance would face sanctions, including naming-and-shaming, trade consequences, or exclusion from certain international benefits.
This system borrows from existing precedents like the 0.7% development aid target for governments or the recent OECD agreement on a global minimum corporate tax. In fact, several G20 leaders have already voiced support for global wealth taxation. What’s lacking is coordination—and political will.

Why now?

To many, the proposal will sound utopian. Global inequality is entrenched, and national interests often override global responsibilities, as recent political developments show (on July 1, the US government officially shut USAID). But we’ve also seen how quickly the world can mobilize resources during crises—such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where trillions were deployed in a matter of weeks.
Technology, too, has advanced to the point where issuing and managing a global identity card is no longer science fiction. Biometric systems are widespread, and mobile money services are proven tools for delivering aid efficiently. What’s needed now is imagination—and determination.
Moreover, the proposal offers a compelling moral argument. In a world as interconnected as ours, can we continue to accept that some people have no legal existence and no way to afford food? Can we afford not to act?

A possible step toward global citizenship

Beyond the practical benefits, the Humanity Card and Basic Income plan represents something deeper: a new model of global social protection. It treats identity and basic income not as privileges of citizenship, but as entitlements of personhood. Therefore, it offers an alternate vision to a nationalistic and techno-conservative agenda of social organization
It is a radical but grounded vision—a policy in line with what the sociologist Erik Olin Wright happened to call a “realistic utopia.” One where being born in the wrong place no longer condemns you to a life of suffering and exclusion.
Whether or not this exact plan is adopted, it opens the door to rethinking how we care for one another across borders. As global challenges grow—climate change, displacement, pandemics—the need for global solutions becomes more urgent. The plan also gives a new and truly supranational role to the UN, at a time when the organization—which celebrated its 80th anniversary this year—goes through one of its deepest existential crises.
A card and a dollar a day may be modest tools. But they might just be enough to make the invisible visible and keep the hungry alive.

Recchi, E., Grohmann, T., “Tackling ‘scandalous inequalities’: a global policy proposal for a Humanity Identity Card and Basic Income Supplement”, Humanities & Social Sciences Communications, 12, art. 880 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05240-w 
The French version has been published by The Conversation France, August 19th, 2025.