(Newsletter: CRVS Insight August 2022)

Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior held a National Consultation Workshop on the Draft Law on Civil Registration, Vital Statistics, and Identification from 13th to 14th July. The intensive two-day workshop was presided over by H.E. Chan Sotheavy, Permanent Secretary of State from Ministry of Justice and Chair of the Law Drafting Working Group (LDWG) Other CRVS stakeholders represented their commitment to the Draft Law, including H.E Mao Chandara, Secretary of State from Ministry of Interior, H.E Dr. Lo Veasnakiry, Secretary of State from Ministry of Health, and H.E. They Kheam, senior official from the National Institute of Statistics from Ministry of Planning. 

The recent National workshop follows a series of sub-national consultations with key stakeholders and CRVS service providers, with the purpose of sensitizing stakeholders to the Draft Law and soliciting their feedback. These workshops are the culmination of sustained commitments from the relevant Cambodian Ministries to establish a rights-based, comprehensive legal framework for CRVS and ID. The new law will also establish the legal basis for an integrated national population register, which will generate a Unique Identity Code at the time of registration.  Since 2017, Vital Strategies and Global Health Advocacy Incubator have provided technical assistance for the drafting of the law with funding support from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Data for Health Initiative.

An effective CRVS and Identification law will be fundamental for the establishment of a well-functioning CRVS system in Cambodia. The law is drafted in accordance with the draft UN Guidelines on the Legal Framework for Civil Registration, Vital Statistics, and Identity Management, and once promulgated, will set clear mandates for responsible entities and create an enabling environment for essential reforms. In anticipation of the passing of the law, Vital Strategies and Global Health Advocacy Incubator are currently supporting Ministry of Interior on the drafting of supplementary regulations (sub-decrees) and Ministerial proclamations (Prakas) to operationalize the law after promulgation.

For more information on the draft UN guidelines, refer to this link.