Regional Commitments for Civil Registration and Legal Identity Progress

Progress against global and regional commitments towards civil registration and universal legal identity David Rausis, UNESCAP Pacific Regional Workshop on Legal Identity and Identity Security 8-10 June SPC Headquarters, Noumea , New Caledonia

Commitments towards Universal Legal Identity Sustainable Development Goals United Nations Human and Civil Rights Conventions Health Islands Monitoring Framework Asian and Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Decade (2015-2024)

Commitments towards the health islands monitoring framework The umbrella policy, strategy and monitoring framework for health development in the Pacific Region

48 Mandatory Indicators that are routinely measured and reported on ALONG WITH: CORE INDICATORS COMPLEMENTARY INDICATORS 31 OPTIONAL INDICATORS (UPDATED ANNUALLY) (REPORTED SELECTIVELY, SUBJECT TO NATIONAL PRIORITIES AND REPORTING SYSTEMS) (REPORTED ON AS SURVEY DATA IS UPDATED) A well functioning CRVS system provides continuous births, deaths and cause of death data, allowing for a routine accurate monitoring of the indicators

Commitments towards the Asian and Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Decade (2015-2024) By 2024, all people in Asia and the Pacific will benefit from universal and responsive civil registration and vital statistics systems

Proclaimed at the Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific held November 2014 in Bangkok The Asian Pacific and CRVS Decade (2015-2024): An initiative focusing improvements of national CRVS systems in Asia and the Pacific 2015-2024 timeframe for implementation Adoption of the Ministerial Declaration to Get Everyone in the Picture

1. Universal civil registration of births, deaths and other vital events Regional Action Framework Goals: 2. Provision to all individuals of documentation of civil registration of births, deaths and other vital events, as necessary, in order to claim identity, civil status and ensuring rights 3. Production and dissemination of accurate, complete and timely vital statistics based on registration records

Sources for Measurement of Targets 10 countries submitted a baseline report in 2015 and therefore half of them have neither baselines nor 2024 targets Other data sources can be substituted to allow for comparison (UNSD, National Vital Statistics Reports) Different sources with potential different methodologies means issues of comparability. The figures measuring targets should therefore be seen as more of an indication of trends rather than a clear measure of progress

Progress Against the Regional Action Framework Key Implementation Steps Reporting to ESCAP National Focal Point National Strategy National Targets Comprehensive National Coordination Mechanism 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 Achieved Plans Number of Countries

Birth Registration Completeness: % of births registered within the legally stipulated time period (max. 1 year) >90% is considered complete Target 1A: Percentage of births registered (completeness rate) Most countries that did not submit a baseline report already have a birth registration completeness >90% By 2024, almost all countries will join them if their targets are reached

1A: Percentage of Births Registered PCRN, 2017aTarget 2024 100% 100% 62% Countries 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 75% 100% 2015 2016 2017 American Samoa Cook Islands Fiji French Polynesia Guam Kiribati Micronesia (F.S.) Nauru New Caledonia Niue Northern Mariana Islands Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu 100% 100% 85% >90% 42% >90% 71% >90% 97% 85% 91% 100% 95% 80% >90% 90% >90% 100% 100% 100% <90% 100% 100% 100% 98% >90% 90% 85% 85% 95% 20% <90% 65% 42% 96% 100% 29% 89% 78%1 75%1 89%1107%1 82%1 84%1 84%1 88%1 93%1 Baseline reports, % of births registered within the legally stipulated time period National Vital Statistics Reports United Nations Statistics Division, Population and Vital Statistics Report a Figures reported by countries at the Disaster Preparation and Response Workshop of the Pacific Civil Registrars Network, October 2017 1 Combining civil registration and health database

>90% is considered complete Half the countries in the region have reached this threshold, the rest are close Target 1D: Percent of deaths registered (completeness rate) Even if they reach their 2024 targets, some countries will still be below the 90% threshold

1D: Percentage of Deaths Registered Completeness Rate 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 PCRN, 2017aTarget 2024 90% 100% >90% 59% >90% Countries American Samoa Cook Islands Fiji French Polynesia Guam Kiribati Micronesia (F.S.) Nauru New Caledonia Niue Northern Mariana Islands Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 88% >90% 91% <90% 75% 75% 100% 90% 98% 95%1 >90% >90% 100%2 100% >90% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% <90% >90% 25% 70% 60% 85% <90% 88% 12% 58% 100% 80% 48%345% 377% 358% 379% 3 62% 353% 342% 3 Baseline reports, % of deaths registered in a given year National Vital Statistics Reports United Nations Statistics Division, Population and Vital Statistics Report a Figures reported by countries at the Disaster Preparation and Response Workshop of the Pacific Civil Registrars Network, October 2017 1 Does not include non-citizen; 2 Burials are only permitted with death certificate 3 Combining civil registration and health database

Target 1E: Percent of deaths recorded by the health sector with a medically certified cause of death recorded using the international form of the death certificate Several countries can improve in efforts to assign a medically certified cause of death to all health sector recorded deaths, but if they maintain current pace, they will reach their 2024 target

1E: Percent of Deaths Recorded by the Health Sector with a Medically Certified Cause of Death Recorded Using the International Form of Death Certificate Baseline 2014 100% 78% 99% 16%1 98% PCRN, 2017a 100% 100% 100% 75% Target 2024 100% 100% 100% 80% 100% Countries American Samoa Cook Islands Fiji Kiribati Micronesia (F.S.) Nauru Niue Northern Mariana Islands Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu a. Figures reported by countries at the Disaster Preparation and Response Workshop of the Pacific Civil Registrars Network, October 2017 1. Death outside health facilities and also death from public health facilities (outer islands) do not use International form of the death certificate. 97% 100% 100% 70% 50% 100% NA 85% 95% 80% 16%

The issuance of an official birth certificate (with minimum information) should follow the registration of a birth. Target 2A: Percent of births registered accompanied with the issuance of an official birth certificate It serves as proof of identity and can be used as evidence in legal proceedings, to meet administrative requirements, and accessing services Most countries are issuing certificates for all registered births and some have already reached their 2024 target

2A: Percent of births registered accompanied with the issuance of an official birth certificate Baseline, 2015a PCRN, 2017b Countries American Samoa Cook Islands Fiji Kiribati Micronesia (F.S.) Nauru Niue Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Target 2024 100% 100% <100% 100% 95% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 90% <100% 100% 50% 85% 70% 95% 30% 49% 100% <100% 100% <100% a Figures reported by countries in their baseline report in 2015 b Figures reported by countries at the Disaster Preparation and Response Workshop of the Pacific Civil Registrars Network, October 2017

For many governments, routine generation of accurate, complete and timely statistics on births, deaths and causes of death will require medium- term strategic and prioritizing investment to improve CRVS systems Target 3H: Vital statistics report for the previous two years, using registration records as the primary source, is made available in the public domain Statistics should be published in a vital statistics report with explanations on the data and limitations

Countries Target 3H American Samoa Achieved Achieved (2015 report published 2019 report expected to be published) Most are on track to be able to publish a report by the end of the Decade in 2024. Cook Islands Achieved (2019 Report Published) Fiji Achieved (2018 report published) Countries who have not set targets are progressing too Kiribati Micronesia 2024 Achieved (2019 report expected to be published) Even after reaching 2024 targets, some countries may still lag behind others. The midterm questionnaire will hopefully identify areas to address Nauru Achieved (2018 report published) Niue Papa New Guinea 2024 Samoa 2019 Solomon Islands 2025 (2016 report published) Tonga 2017 Achieved (2018 report published) Tuvalu Achieved (2018 report published) Vanuatu

To continue improving CRVS systems by ensuring at least 90% of births and deaths are registered within the legally stipulated time period, thus allowing for the use of civil registration as a basis for identity management systems and the production of vital statistics. Strengthen their collaboration with the health sector to underline the importance of recording medically certified causes of death. Recommendations Ensure no or low fees for the provision of legal documentation of civil registration so that all individuals can be provided with it. Take advantage of the recent progress in the completeness of civil registration data to promote their use for the production of vital statistics

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