open-education-api / specification

OpenAPI (fka Swagger) specification for the Open Education API.
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How to deal with `countryOfBirth` and `nationality` when the country no longer exists in iso-3166-1-alpha-2 #323

Open jelmerderonde opened 3 weeks ago

jelmerderonde commented 3 weeks ago

Context: In version 5 of the OOAPI, the countryOfBirth and nationality attributes for the Person entity are defined using ISO 3166 alpha-2 codes. This has led to challenges in handling individuals born in countries that are either no longer recognized or newly established (e.g., Rhodesia, the Soviet Union, and Kosovo).

Issue: There are cases in various SISs where individuals have birth countries that do not conform to the current ISO 3166 alpha-2 standards. While ISO 3166 alpha-4 provides codes for former countries, it does not encompass all relevant entities. For example, Kosovo is recognized by the Netherlands and appears in the BRP list, but lacks an ISO 3166 code due to the absence of a UN resolution.

Proposal:

This approach aligns with international standards while acknowledging the complexities of national recognition.