Preparatory Meeting of Experts for the First Conference of African Ministers Responsible for Civil...

Preparatory Meeting of Experts for the First Conference of African Ministers Responsible for Civil Registration

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 10 – 12 August 2010

Importance and Services of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems

Srdjan MrkićChief, Social Statistics

United Nations Statistics Division



• Three parts

1. Definition and essential features – the United Nations framework for developing and improving civil registration

2. Importance of civil registration - human rights and vital statistics

3. Summary

Presentation parts



• Civil registration is– Universal– Continuous– Permanent– Compulsory

recording of vital events

Definition of civil registration



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



Civil Registration Outputs

• Quite a number of outputs – two main categories

– Relevant to an individual • Original documents

• Copies

• Extracts

– Relevant to a society (aggregated individual outputs)• Statistics

• Health services

• Health registers

• Family planning

• Resource allocations



Civil registration – individual output

• Providing official and permanent record (an example)



Civil registration – aggregated output

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



Civil registration – aggregated output

Age specific fertility rates, early 2000

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

up to20

20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45+

Botswana, 2006

Morocco, 2001

Namibia, 2001

Germany, 2008



Civil Registration Components

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



United Nations Civil Registration Network

Management,operation andmaintenance

Computer-ization

Principlesand recom

mendations Rev. 2

Releaseand archiving-

individualrecords

Information, education and

comm.

Legal framework



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




• 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




• 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.





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 child’s or his or her parent’s or legal guardian’s 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.





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.





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.





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.




• 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



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

Source: UN Population Division

Total population:

212,092,000

Population 0-4:

21,782,000

First graders in 2002:

4,356,400

1.5 teachers per 30 students

Number of teachers needed: 217,820

Source: 2000 Population Census

Total population:

203,456,000

Population 0-4:

20,910,720

First graders in 2002:

4,182,144

1.5 teachers per 30 students

Number of teachers needed: 209,107

Difference over 8,000 teachers




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




Human Rights

Civil Registration

Vital Statistics

Governing Good and efficient governing must be based on informed decisions, that is why it needs qualitative and accurate vital statistics.

Ensuring basic human right is crucial for the normal functioning and governing of societies worldwide.

The exercise of many human rights depends directly on the existence of the functioning civil registration system.

Civil registration is, without doubt, the best source for accurate and reliable vital statistics.

Efficient and legitimate governing at all levels requires civil registration for its legal implications – citizenship, for example.

The lack of vital statistics directly affects the exercise of human right..


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