Remarks by Mrs. Jennifer Kargbo
Deputy Executive Secretary, UNECA

 

 

His Excellency, Mr. Teshome Toga, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia;
Excellencies, African Ministers in Charge of Civil Registration;
His Excellency, Dr. Maxwell Mkwezalamba, Commissioner for Economic Affairs of the African Union Commission;
Professor Mthuli Ncube, Vice President and Chief Economist of the African Development Bank;
Representatives of subregional, regional, and international organizations,
Representatives of Development Partners;
Distinguished Delegates, Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen

Introduction

It is my pleasure to warmly welcome you all to Addis Ababa, the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and to the First Conference of African Ministers in Charge of Civil Registration whose theme is: “Towards Improved Civil Status Information for Efficient Public Administration and Generation of Vital Statistics for National Development and MDGs Monitoring in Africa.”

Allow me to extend a warm welcome to His Excellency, Mr. Girma Woldegiorgis, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and thank him for taking time off his busy schedule to attend this Conference to also thank him and through him, the Government and people of Ethiopia for hosting this event.  His support and active interest in this landmark Conference is a demonstration of the urgency and much-needed legitimacy and credibility that is befitting of this event.  

Moreover, the presence of His Excellency Girma Woldegiorgis, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and 33 Ministers present here today is a demonstration of the commitment by African countries to tackle headlong, the pressing issues pertaining to civil registration and vital statistics and I thank you all on behalf of the United Nations Family for your participation.

It is with great appreciation, I wish to acknowledge the presence of our esteemed partners here today: Professor Mthuli Ncube, Vice President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), his Excellency Dr. Maxwell Mkwezalamba, Commissioner for Economic Affairs of the African Union Commission (AUC); and Dr. Sally Stansfield, Executive Secretary of the Health Metrics Network (HMN) for the relentless efforts made in co-organizing this continental event on such an important subject. Your presence here indicates that you value and cherish the shared vision that unites the three Pan African institutions with the United Nations family on the singular goal of enhancing and deepening joint collaborative efforts to advance Africa’s development agenda.
Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

The Importance of Civil Registration and vital statistics

Allow me to share some thoughts and elaborate on the importance of civil registration and vital statistics and why this issue is gaining such relevance.
 
As we are well aware, systems of acknowledging people as subjects of nations or states have been in existence since time immemorial. Over the course of time, there has been increasing recognition of the need to look at the totality of human existence as more than a record of one’s birth or one’s death.

This gathering of the community of African experts, statisticians and policy makers recognizes that advancing human development requires a holistic understanding of nine vital events that impact, not only on the individual, but on communities and society as a whole. These nine vital events, namely births, deaths, foetal deaths, marriages, annulments, judicial separations, adoptions, legitimations and recognitions form the foundation of civil registration systems. As development actors, including practitioners and policy-makers, we no doubt appreciate their value and the critical importance they play in development. These systems constitute the source from which vital statistical data can be extrapolated and analyzed to inform decision-making.

Given that establishing civil registration systems is not an end to itself, let me highlight a few of the areas where civil registration and vital statistical data have direct relevance.

First, these systems play a critical role in effective implementation of public administration services. For instance, passports, national identification systems and related immigration services are systemized based on registration records.

Second, these registration records are the ingredients for the administration of efficient public health as well as education systems and services. Thus we as development actors should seek to inform policy or action, based on comprehensive vital statistics. This indeed helps understand trends in demographic, health, education, population indicators as well as other issues, such as mortality rates and causes of death.

Third, at a broader level, registration systems have become a source of official and legal evidence that is needed to safeguard the rights and privileges of citizens as provided in national constitutions, international human rights treaties, conventions and declarations. Without certificates of birth, death, marriage and divorce produced by a civil registration system, individual rights are often subject to abuse and misrepresentation, where primary evidence is needed in legal proceedings and administrative services.

Last but not the least, established and well-functioning civil registration systems are immensely beneficial to the regional integration process that is already underway on the African Continent. There is no doubt that the free movement of people across borders requires good records on population dynamics, including births and deaths, all which is sourced from civil registration systems. Moreover, there are tremendous gains made in cross-border movements and trade when civil registration offices and national statistical offices, as well as government agencies such as ministries of justice and ministries of interior have well functioning and well coordinated civil registration systems among themselves.

 

Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Challenges and Opportunities

The landscape of civil registration systems and vital statistics across the continent varies in terms of national practices of administering then within government administrative structures. The challenges are many, including a lack of basic infrastructure as well as problems with the quality and standards of such systems. In addition, these systems are sometimes limited in their reach and extent, favoring urban and surrounding dwellers over populations found in rural areas. Let me highlight 3 critical challenges as well as opportunities that are needed to advance this agenda.

The need for resources and policy guidance

In addressing these challenges, our response as concerned actors needs to focus on providing the human and financial resources needed as well as policy guidance to ensure that countries have the appropriate regional as well as technical direction and support, such as placing civil registration and vital statistics in the appropriate national and local administrative structures. 

In addition, resources need to be allocated in a flexible manner, including recurrent and ad-hoc basis depending on the type and nature of activities that need to be put in place in the complex world of strengthening these systems. Sustainability is paramount in this regard, and I would suggest that ensuring the sustainability of civil registration operations necessitates allocation of budgetary resources from government treasuries and other sources.

The need for appropriate legal frameworks

Let me also draw your attention to the importance of the legal framework surrounding civil registration systems. Updating laws and regulations is a critical element of reforming and improving civil registration and vital statistics systems. However, this would need to be done judiciously, by applying appropriate law drafting techniques and procedures that result in suitable laws and regulations.

The need for international standards

Additionally, there is a need to establish requirements and procedures that are in line with international standards to ensure that:

1. Civil registration evidences serve as prima facie documents in civil and criminal matters;

2. Individual vital event records are utilized in health service provisions, such as post-natal health and family planning services, as well as disease prevention and control services;

3. Individual vital event records are applied as sources of evidence and information in administrative as well as protection and related services. These include, but are not limited to the preparation of passports, national IDs, protection of children from early marriage, protection of children from child labour, recruitment as child soldiers and from being lured into child trafficking.

 

 

Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Towards standardization of systems and a regional approach

In the majority of African countries, current practices and application of vital events recording, evidence production, data compilation, processing and dissemination are not guided by systematic and standardized data and information collection methods, legislative frameworks, organizational and operational procedures.

It goes without saying that setting national standards and putting minimum requirements at country level on vital event evidences and the statistics produced can go a long way towards promoting legal and administrative information sharing between countries. Furthermore, these standards and requirements can also advance comparability of data at national, regional and international levels. In broader terms, it helps in advancing regional integration and measurement and monitoring of national, regional and international development frameworks, including the MDGs.

In view of the challenges and opportunities outlined above, ECA, AfDB, and AUC have initiated a joint undertaking aimed at bringing civil registration and vital statistics systems on the top of the regional statistical development agenda. Though the degree varies from country to county, the challenges and problems we see in improving civil registration and vital statistics systems in Africa are largely regional in nature.

As regional organizations, under the umbrella of the African Statistical Coordination Committee, we have realized the necessity of coordinating and mobilizing human, technical and operational resources at the regional level to support countries in improving these systems. This conference is a step toward our commitment and collective responsibility to move this regional, ground breaking agenda forward.

Given the lack of a regional plan for improving civil registration and vital statistics systems, which made it difficult to properly intervene and prioritize the needs and observed gaps in Member States, your presence here this week marks the beginning of a new era of much-needed collaboration in this area. To this end, ECA has made a head-start by developing a medium-term regional plan for 2010 to 2012. This regional plan is aimed at reforming and improving civil registration and vital statistics systems in line with the international standards and practices.

In addition, ECA in collaboration with the AfDB have for the first time, prepared various technical and operational regional guidelines that were presented in the past three days to the expert meeting just concluded yesterday. These landmark regional activities were prepared to be compatible with international technical guidelines, principles and recommendations. Hence they are expected to serve as guiding tools for all our partners engaged in civil registration and vital statistics activities in the region.
Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Conclusion

With these remarks, let me conclude by sharing with you the promise made by the Tanzania regional workshop a year ago and call upon all present at this groundbreaking Conference to take home the following message. And I quote:

“Each and every child born and person dying in Africa must be legally recognized by the State and be maintained in official statistics”

I urge us all to do our utmost to make this vision a reality.

I thank you for your attention and wish you a successful meeting.

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