The Need for a Civil Registration System

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The Need for a Civil Registration System
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Presentation parts

• Three parts
• Definition and essential features the United
  Nations framework for developing and improving
  civil registration
• Importance of civil registration - human rights
  and vital statistics
• Summary

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Definition of civil registration

• Civil registration is
• Universal
• Continuous
• Permanent
• Compulsory
• recording of vital events

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Definition of civil registration

• State-run public institution
• Serving general and individual interests by
• Gathering
• Screening
• Documenting
• Filing
• Safekeeping
• Correcting and updating
• Certifying
• Providing official and permanent record

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Civil Registration Outputs

• Quite a number of outputs two main categories
• Relevant to an individual
• Original documents (drivers license, passport )
• Copies
• Extracts
• Relevant to a society (aggregated individual
  outputs)
• Statistics
• Health services
• Health registers
• Family planning
• Resource allocations

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Civil registration individual output

• Providing official and permanent record (an
  example)

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Civil registration aggregated output

• Creating a statistical record
• Validation of data
• Electronic format
• Data editing
• Data processing
• Tabulation, analysis, dissemination

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Civil registration aggregated output
Age specific fertility rates, early 2000
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Civil Registration Components

• Law
• Civil administration infrastructure
• Population participation
• Service to the public
• Ensuring confidentiality
• Checks and balances

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United Nations Civil Registration Network
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Civil Registration and its importance

• Exercise of many United Nations endorsed human
  rights directly depends on registration and the
  existence of the civil registration system
• Every child shall be registered immediately
  after birth and shall have a name.
• International Covenant on Civil and Political
  Rights
• Convention on the Rights of the Child

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Civil Registration and its importance

• Codification of international human rights
  provides the right to register
• Deaths International Covenant on Civil and
  Political Rights
• Foetal deaths - International Covenant on Civil
  and Political Rights
• Marriage - International Convention on Consent to
  Marriage and Registration of Marriage
• Divorce United Nations General Assembly
  resolutions

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Civil Registration and its importance

• Lack of registration ? Denying basic human right
• Examples

1. Right to own identity
The child shall be registered immediately after
birth and shall have the right from birth to a
name, the right to acquire nationality and, as
far as possible, the right to know and be cared
for by his or her parents. Article 7 of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child.
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Civil Registration and its importance

• Lack of registration ? Denying basic human right
• Examples

2. Right to non-discrimination by reason of birth
States Parties shall respect and ensure the
rights set forth in the present Convention to
each child within its jurisdiction without
discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the
childs or his or her parents or legal
guardians race, color, sex, language, religion,
political or other opinion, national, ethnic or
social origin, property, disability, birth or
other status. Article 2 of the Convention on the
Rights of the Child.
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Civil Registration and its importance

• Lack of registration ? Denying basic human right
• Examples

3. Right to education
States Parties recognize the right of the child
to education and with a view to achieving this
right progressively and on the basis of equal
opportunity, they shall, in particular a) Make
primary education compulsory and available free
for all - Article 28 of the Convention on the
Rights of the Child.
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Civil Registration and its importance

• Lack of registration ? Denying basic human right
• Examples

4. Right to marry
The right of men and women of marriageable age to
marry should be recognized. Article 23 of the
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
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Civil Registration and its importance

• Lack of registration ? Denying basic human right
• Examples

5. Right to (elect) vote and get elected
Every citizen shall have the right and the
opportunity, without any of the distinctions to
vote and to be elected at genuine periodic
elections which shall be by universal and equal
suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot,
guaranteeing the free expression of will of the
electors Article 25 of the Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights.
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Civil Registration and its importance

• Civil registers are the best source of vital
  statistics as
• Universal
• Permanent
• Continuous
• Compulsory
• Vital statistics is essential for planning and
  providing the numerical profile of the nation

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Civil Registration and its importance

• Incomplete registration
• Civil registration system in development
• Lack of vital statistics
• Lack of population estimates

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Civil Registration and its importance

• Enormous challenges
• Stakeholders
• Importance
• Human rights
• Statistics
• Good governance

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Civil Registration and its importance