WUNRN
EVERY CHILD'S BIRTH RIGHT -
INEQUITIES & TRENDS IN BIRTH REGISTRATION - 161 COUNTRIES - GIRLS
Children
unregistered at birth or without identification documents are often excluded
from accessing education, health care and social security. If children are
separated from their families during natural disasters, conflicts or as a
result of exploitation, reuniting them is made more difficult by the lack of
official documentation.
UNICEF
released an important Report showing that the births of nearly 230
million children under-five have never been registered; approximately one in
three of all children under-five around the world.
Direct Link to Full 48-Page 2013
UNICEF Report:
One In Three Children Under-Age Five Does Not Officially Exist - UNICEF
NEW YORK, 11 December 2013 - UNICEF
hasreleased a report showing that the births of nearly 230 million children
under-five have never been registered; approximately one in three of all
children under-five around the world.
“Birth registration is more than just
a right. It’s how societies first recognize and acknowledge a child’s identity
and existence,” said Geeta Rao Gupta, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director. “Birth
registration is also key to guaranteeing that children are not forgotten,
denied their rights or hidden from the progress of their nations.”
The new report, Every Child’s Birth Right: Inequities and trends
in birth registration, collects statistical analysis spanning 161
countries and presents the latest available country data and estimates on birth
registration.
Globally in 2012, only around 60 per
cent of all babies born were registered at birth. The rates vary significantly
across regions, with the lowest levels of birth registration found in South
Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
The 10 countries with the lowest
birth registration levels are: Somalia (3%), Liberia (4%), Ethiopia (7%),
Zambia (14%), Chad (16%), United Republic of Tanzania (16%), Yemen (17%),
Guinea-Bissau (24%), Pakistan (27%) and Democratic Republic of the Congo (28%).
Even when children are registered,
many have no proof of registration. In Eastern and Southern Africa, for
example, only about half of the registered children have a birth certificate.
Globally, 1 in 7 registered children does not possess a birth certificate. In
some countries, this is due to prohibitive fees. In other countries, birth
certificates are not issued and no proof of registration is available to
families.
Children unregistered at birth or without
identification documents are often excluded from accessing education, health
care and social security. If children are separated from their families during
natural disasters, conflicts or as a result of exploitation, reuniting them is
made more difficult by the lack of official documentation.
“Birth registration – and a birth
certificate - is vital for unlocking a child’s full potential,” said Rao
Gupta. “All children are born with enormous potential. But if societies
fail to count them, and don’t even recognize that they are there, they are more
vulnerable to neglect and abuse. Inevitably, their potential will be severely
diminished.”
Birth registration, as an essential
component of a country’s civil registry, also strengthens the quality of vital statistics,
aiding planning and government efficiency.
According to UNICEF, unregistered
births are a symptom of the inequities and disparities in a society. The
children most affected by these inequities include children from certain ethnic
or religious groups, children living in rural or remote areas, children from
poor households or children of uneducated mothers.
Programmes need to address the
reasons that families do not register children, including prohibitive fees,
unawareness of the relevant laws or processes, cultural barriers, and the fear
of further discrimination or marginalization.
UNICEF is using innovative approaches
to support governments and communities in strengthening their civil and birth
registration systems. In Kosovo for example, the UNICEF Innovations Lab has
developed an efficient, effective, and low-cost means of identifying and
reporting unregistered births, built on the RapidSMS mobile-phone based
platform.
In Uganda, the government – with
support from UNICEF and the private sector – is implementing a solution called
MobileVRS that uses mobile phone technology to complete birth registration
procedures in minutes, a process that normally takes months.
“Societies will never be equitable
and inclusive until all children are counted,” added Rao Gupta. “Birth
registration has lasting consequences, not only for the child’s wellbeing, but
also for the development of their communities and countries.”
UNICEF also released today A Passport to Protection: A guide to
birth registration programming, a handbook for those working
on birth registration, providing background information, general principles and
a guide for programming.