By Asma Ayaz
KARACHI: Planning and Development Board and the Local Government in partnership with UNICEF have organized a Provincial Summit on strengthening of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Sindh. Civil registration is the important act of recording and documenting of vital events in a person’s life (including birth, marriage, divorce, adoption and death) and is therefore a fundamental function of governments.
Vital statistics generated from civil registration significantly contribute to the formulation of effective and efficient evidence-based policy across multiple sectors. Reliable information on births, fertility and deaths enable the calculation and production of timely and accurate population estimates and other demographic and health statistics, which are basic requirements for effective policymaking for inclusive and sustainable development, efficient resource allocation and accurate evaluation and monitoring. Despite the clear benefits of civil registration and vital statistics both to individuals, government and several organizations, Pakistan like several other countries of the region does not have credible registration of births and deaths, and lacks in reporting complete and accurate cause of death data.
It is the first Summit organized on CRVS in the province with an aim to bring all the stakeholders on one platform. This forum aims to accelerate the efforts of governments and development partners to ensure that, by 2024, the regional commitment for improvement of CRVS is met. Pakistan is committed to the Regional CRVS Action Framework -2014, which contains three goals for the Decade; Universal civil registration coverage, all individuals have legal documentation to claim identity and ensuing rights, and accurate, complete and timely vital statistics. Under each of those goals is a series of targets that each individual country has set for themselves.
Several national and international experts addressed the audience and shared their experience.
Mr. Khalid Hayder Shah, Secretary Local Government, welcomed all the experts and participants and said that, the Local Government is responsible to ensure an effective civil registration system because civil registration provides individuals with the documentary evidence often required to secure recognition of their legal identity, their family relationships, their nationality and ensuring rights, such as to inheritance.
Dr. Shereen Mustafa, Secretary Planning and Development Department, shared that as per the findings of MICS 2014, 71% children under five are not registered at birth , mostly belonging to the rural areas. The death registration is only done if someone requires it for inheritance etc. There is a need to make the system user friendly to promote birth, death, marriage and divorce.
Mr. Naeem-uz-Zafar, Chief Economist, Planning and Development Board mentioned Dr. emphasized the need of coordination between different stakeholders. He said that the data on civil registration is very important for the Health and Education Departments as well for proper planning.
The chief guest Mr. Saeed Ghani, Minister for Local Government said that the Local Government is committed to strengthen the CRVS system in Sindh. He thanked UNICEF for their support to strengthen the CRVS system and improving the Birth Registration which is the right of every child. He said that we could improve the rate of birth registration by integrating it with other services and campaigns. He promised to take up the matter of the fees associated with birth registration with the Chief Minister and Cabinet of Sindh to make it subsidized or free of cost. He assured of the full support of Sindh Government to CRVS prtners.
Ms. Cristina Brugiolo, Chief Field Office UNICEF Sindh speaking on the occasion said, an effective and CRVS system is required not only to register individuals and providing them legal identity but it is also important for protecting children from different types of abuses. Registered birth really does provide a “passport to protection” – as an accurate record of age, it may help to prevent child labour, mitigate against child marriage and protect children from being treated as adults by the justice system. In times of disaster, undocumented children are at even greater risk if they are separated from their parents or caregivers. She congratulated the Sindh Government for organizing discussion on this important topic.
Dr. S.M. Mursalin Technical Advisor CRVS, Ministry of Planning, Reform and Development, Mr. Faheem Junejo, Mr. Farooq Siddique, Dr. Murtaza Haider, Barrister Shahida Jamil, Mr. Saqib Alaeem, Mr. Iqbal Detho, Mr.Azmat Qazi, Dr. Shagufat Zareen, Ms. Maliha Zia, Mr. Kahif Hafeez, Dr. Imran Khan,Dr. Gulzar Ali Shah Bukhari, Emelia Allan, Muqaddisa Mehreen, Mr. Germain Mirindi, Dr. Zeeshan Shaikh, Mr. Nasir Khan also present amongst the distinguished speakers and guests. Apart from this delegates from Punjab, AJK, Balochistan and GB were also present.
