1. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
The Need for a Civil Registration
System

2. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
• 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

3. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
• Civil registration is
– Universal
– Continuous
– Permanent
– Compulsory
recording of vital events
Definition of civil registration

4. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
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

5. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
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

6. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
Civil registration – individual output
• Providing official and permanent record (an example)

7. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
Civil registration – aggregated output
• Creating a statistical record
– Validation of data
– Electronic format
– Data editing
– Data processing
– Tabulation, analysis, dissemination

8. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
Civil registration – aggregated output
Age specific fertility rates, early 2000
0
50
100
150
200
250
up to 20 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45+
Mauritius
Namibia
Swaziland
Germany

9. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
Civil Registration Components
• Law
• Civil administration infrastructure
• Population participation
• Service to the public
• Ensuring confidentiality
• Checks and balances

10. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
United Nations Civil Registration Network
Management,
operation and
maintenance
Computer-
ization
Principles
and recom
mendations
Rev. 2
Release
and archiving-
individual
records
Information,
education and
comm.
Legal
framework

11. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
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

12. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
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

13. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
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.

14. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
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 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.

15. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
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.

16. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
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.

17. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
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.

18. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
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

19. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
– 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
Civil Registration and its importance

20. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
• Enormous challenges
• Stakeholders
• Importance
• Human rights
• Statistics
• Good governance
Civil Registration and its importance

21. Regional Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa
“Towards New Initiatives and Approaches”
29 June – 3 July 2009, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
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..
Civil Registration and its importance