More than a billion people worldwide, mostly children, do not have a legal identity. In many countries, this means they can't get access to vital services like health care and education, says legal identity expert Kristen Wenz. She discusses why this problem is one of the greatest human rights violations of our time -- and shares five strategies to ensure everyone can get registered and protected.

What if a single human right could change the world?

Over one billion people, most of them children, lack legal identity documents such as birth certificates. In many countries, this simple absence blocks access to healthcare, education, and protection from exploitation. In regions like sub-Saharan Africa, up to 80 percent of children go unregistered. Ensuring every person is counted can break cycles of poverty and unlock basic human rights for all.

Legal Identity Is the Invisible Key to Human Rights

human rights

health care

policy

social change

government

global issues

kids

international development

equality

TED Stage Talk

Kristen Wenz: What if a single human right could change the world?