Civil Registration & Human Rights UNICEF East & Southern Africa Regional Office 7th Africa Symposium...
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Transcript of Civil Registration & Human Rights UNICEF East & Southern Africa Regional Office 7th Africa Symposium...
![Page 1: Civil Registration & Human Rights UNICEF East & Southern Africa Regional Office 7th Africa Symposium on Statistical Development January 2012 Cornelius.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022012922/56649dab5503460f94a99ea8/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Civil Registration & Human Rights
UNICEF East & Southern Africa Regional Office
7th Africa Symposium on Statistical Development January 2012
Cornelius Williams Regional Adviser UNICEF ESARO
![Page 2: Civil Registration & Human Rights UNICEF East & Southern Africa Regional Office 7th Africa Symposium on Statistical Development January 2012 Cornelius.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022012922/56649dab5503460f94a99ea8/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
The “First Right”- registration of births
• STARTING POINT FOR RECOGNITION OF A PERSON’S LEGAL EXISTENCE
• KEY TO REALIZATION OF NEARLY ALL FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND ENTITLEMENTS
• ACCOUNTS FOR 60-70% OF ALL CIVIL EVENTS REGISTERED CURRENTLY IN AFRICA)
Africa
Sub-Sa
haran Afri
ca
Easte
rn an
d Southern
Africa
West
and Cen
tral A
frica
Middle Ea
st an
d North Afri
ca Asia
South Asia
East
Asia an
d Pacific
Latin Ameri
ca an
d Caribbea
n
CEE/C
IS
Develo
ping countri
es
Least
develo
ped co
untries
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Birth Registration Rates 2000-2009 –Lowest Birth Registration Rates in the World
TotalUrbanRural
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The International Legal Framework
• THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS AND WELFARE OF THE CHILD: DEFINES A CHILD AS ANYONE BELOW 18 YEARS OF AGE, WITHOUT ANY EXCEPTION. THE CHARTER, LIKE ARTICLE 7 OF THE CRC, REQUIRES THE IMMEDIATE BIRTH REGISTRATION OF ALL CHILDREN AS WELL AS PROVIDING THEM WITH A NATIONALITY (ART. 6)
• THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD (CRC): ALL CHILDREN, REGARDLESS OF NATIONALITY, RACE, LEGAL OR OTHER STATUS ARE ENTITLED TO REGISTRATION IMMEDIATELY AFTER BIRTH (ARTICLE 7)
• THE CONVENTION ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS: “EVERY CHILD” HAS THE RIGHT TO THE PROTECTION WHICH HIS STATUS AS A MINOR GRANTS HIM, “WITHOUT ANY DISCRIMINATION AS TO ….NATIONAL OR SOCIAL ORIGIN” (ARTICLE 24(1))
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The International Legal FrameworkAfrican Charter on the Rights & Welfare of the Child
![Page 5: Civil Registration & Human Rights UNICEF East & Southern Africa Regional Office 7th Africa Symposium on Statistical Development January 2012 Cornelius.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022012922/56649dab5503460f94a99ea8/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
The International Legal FrameworkConvention on the Rights of the Child
![Page 6: Civil Registration & Human Rights UNICEF East & Southern Africa Regional Office 7th Africa Symposium on Statistical Development January 2012 Cornelius.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022012922/56649dab5503460f94a99ea8/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
The International Legal FrameworkAfrican Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
![Page 7: Civil Registration & Human Rights UNICEF East & Southern Africa Regional Office 7th Africa Symposium on Statistical Development January 2012 Cornelius.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022012922/56649dab5503460f94a99ea8/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Registering the Births of All Children
• OBLIGATION TO REGISTER BIRTHS OF ALL CHILDREN IMMEDIATELY AFTER BIRTH, CREATING AN OBLIGATION FOR THE STATES TO FACILITATE BIRTH REGISTRATION:– IN THE COUNTRY OF
BIRTH– FOR ALL CHILDREN
BORN IN THE COUNTRY
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Right to Nationality
– NATIONALITY LAWS REGULATE NATIONALITY... BIRTH REGISTRATION DOCUMENTS A BIRTH
– BIRTH CERTIFICATES SERVE AS PROOF OF NATIONALITY BY:
• REFLECTING PARENTAL AFFILIATION AS PROOF OF NATIONALITY FOR COUNTRIES WHICH OFFER CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT (“JUS SANGUINIS”)
• REFLECTING THE PLACE OF BIRTH, SERVING AS PROOF OF NATIONALITY IN COUNTRIES WHICH OFFER CITIZENSHIP BY BIRTH ON THE TERRITORY OF THE COUNTRY (“JUS SOLIS”)
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Birth Registration Stagnant, or Even Declining
Changes Between MICS Survey By 2004 and MICS Survey by
2011
Number of African Countries and
Territories (% of the African Population)
Improvement 9 (12%) No Change 3 (3%)Deterioration 16 (26%)Unknown 25 (59%)
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Birth Registration & 3 Basic Material Needs
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
Birth Registration 3 Basic Materials needs
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Why The Impasse?
• THE PUBLIC CASE OF CIVIL REGISTRATION IS NOT MADE – NOTWITHSTANDING ITS LEGAL AND GOVERNANCE IMPORTANCE
• THE PRIVATE CASE IS NOT IN PLACE OTHER THAN FOR SOCIAL AND URBAN ELITES
• CIVIL REGISTRATION COMPETES WITH NATIONAL IDS WHILE THE LATTER IS QUESTIONABLE WITHOUT THE FORMER
• IN MANY AFRICAN COUNTRIES THE LOGISTICAL CHALLENGE IS HUGE
• ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, RELATIVE SCARCITY OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE RESOURCES AND RELATIVE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COST OF CIVIL REGISTRATION
• THE UNDERDEVELOPED PERCEIVED NEED FOR PERSONAL IDENTITY DOCUMENTATION, ESPECIALLY FOR THE U-18
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Current Drivers for Registration
• PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DEMAND FOR IDENTITY MANAGEMENT ESTABLISHING THE RELATION BETWEEN STATE, CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS – FOLLOWING FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
• PUBLIC MANAGEMENT OF CLAIMS TO NATIONALITY AND RESULTING ACCESS TO PROTECTION AND ENTITLEMENTS
• GLOBALIZATION, INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION AND DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
![Page 13: Civil Registration & Human Rights UNICEF East & Southern Africa Regional Office 7th Africa Symposium on Statistical Development January 2012 Cornelius.](https://reader031.fdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022012922/56649dab5503460f94a99ea8/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Going Forward
• THE ECA MINISTERIAL PROCESS– POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS
• INTER-SECTORAL LINKAGES – GOVERNANCE & CIVIL REGISTRATION
• PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS REGIONS– EXCHANGE GOOD PRACTICE WITH LATIN AMERICA & ASIA– PARLIAMENTARIANS CONSTITUENCY– NETWORKS OF CIVIL REGISTRARS
• BASIC PRINCIPLES OF UNIVERSAL ACCESS – REMOVAL LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE BARRIERS– SPECIAL STRATEGIES FOR EXCLUDED/MARGINALIZED
GROUPS