Stephen Chapman | Independent Travel Document Expert, Former HM Passport Office
Independent

Recently retired from HM Passport after 18 years as a travel document and stakeholder engagement expert representing the UK bilaterally, as well as multilaterally in international forums, having previously worked across a wide range of government departments in a career of over 40 years. Through the ICAO Implementation & Capacity Building Working Group and other forums Stephen continues to be influential in improving the global understanding and effective implementation of the ICAO standards and recommended procedures around the production, issuance and use of travel documents. On behalf of the UK Home Office he has conducted assessments of foreign travel document and identity infrastructures contributing to decisions on visa-applicability applied to the citizens of many countries.

As the lead expert on the European Union for HM Passport Office, Stephen was instrumental in the little-known and even less-appreciated (!) process of having 39 different types of British passport and travel documents accepted by nearly all member states as the UK prepared to leave the European Union and in the wide acceptance across the globe of the emergency procedures put in place when HM Passport Office faced difficulty coping with demand in 2014.

He has co-written or contributed to several articles for ICAO's Uniting Aviation as well as played an active part in drafting UK and EU legislation. Stephen is now available to help advise and train officials in the application of the ICAO Traveller Identification Programme to ensure security and integrity throughout the issuance process, hoping to impart the knowledge and experience he has gained over many years.