Attachments
This guidance document was jointly developed by the Regional Support Office of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime (RSO) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific. This note provides practical guidance to civil registrars on birth registration.
Background
In 2021 UNICEF recorded that worldwide, there are 167 million children under the age of 5 whose births remain unregistered. Of this number, some 39 per cent—equating to 65 million unregistered children—are in Asia and the Pacific. Birth registration is the first step towards realisation of children’s rights. Beyond access to education, and public health services, birth registration allows integration into social security systems, and enables regular and documented traveling and migration. Further, it can assist in preventing childhood statelessness and reduce vulnerabilities to child labor, conscription or recruitment as a child soldier, child marriage, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking and smuggling. In situations of displacement or migration, birth registration can prove that a person is an unaccompanied minor and assist in reuniting the child with separated family members. This guidance document explains the importance of birth registration, describes characteristics of good practices in birth registration, international commitments to birth registration for all, pertinent human rights obligations, common barriers to birth registration, and guidance on how to address these barriers. In addition, the note includes recommendations on public outreach activities to increase awareness about birth registration.