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CIVIL REGISTRATION AND VITAL STATISTICS

IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

  • Resources for civil registration during the COVID-19 pandemic

    The current pandemic is disrupting CRVS systems all over the world, but also highlighting why well-functioning systems are more essential than ever. As a result, the UN Statistics Division, the World Health Organization and the UN Legal Identity Agenda Task Force developed COVID-19 resources offering guidance for civil registration stakeholders on maintaining CRVS activities.

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  • New Dates announced for the Second Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific

    Originally postponed because of the global pandemic, the Second Ministerial Conference on CRVS now has new dates for the 16th to 19th November, 2021. The current situation hindered preparations for the event in 2020, but we are back on track to celebrate progress through the CRVS Decade (2015-2024), identify remaining challenges, emphasize CRVS for sustainable development and promote CRVS as the foundation for legal identity.

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  • Midterm CRVS Decade (2015-2024) Progress

    ESCAP is collecting country midterm questionnaires to measure regional progress through the midpoint of the CRVS Decade (2015-2024). Responses will inform and guide preparations for the Second Ministerial Conference in November 2021.

    What are the numbers so far?

    • 45 midterm questionnaires collected
    • 53 national focal points established

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Postponement of the Second Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific

In light of the current situation regarding COVID-19, the celebration of the midpoint of the CRVS Decade (2015-2024) was postponed until November 2021. The ongoing pandemic impedes the safe organization of such an event, while also shedding new light on the need for well-functioning CRVS systems that can feed discussions on regional challenges.

We will do our best to keep you informed of Conference updates and in the meantime additional information and resources can be accessed here.

 

The importance of CRVS systems for gender equality

Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems play a significant role for all individuals by ensuring the registration of births, deaths, marriages, and other vital events, and the recording of causes of death. They provide individuals with legal forms of identification, enabling access to government services such as education and healthcare but also facilitating opening a bank account, formal employment and getting a driving license or a passport.

Asia-Pacific Stats Café on COVID-19 and mortality statistics

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the need for reliable and timely mortality statistics into sharp focus. Knowing how many people are dying and where they are is essential to tracking the virus’ spread and determining its impact. And while this sounds simple, COVID-19 also exposed deep and pervasive gaps in death registration systems in Asia and the Pacific, especially in low-income countries.

UNICEF to host a webinar on global birth registration progress

Based on data from 174 countries, the UNICEF report, Birth Registration for Every Child by 2030: Are we on track? shows that 166 million children under-5, or 1 in 4, remain unregistered today. And even when they are registered, they may not have proof of registration – an estimated 237 million children under age 5 worldwide are currently without a birth certificate.

Pakistan takes action to improve CRVS and reduce social impacts of COVID-19

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors recently approved a $500 million program to help Pakistan improve services, including civil registration and vital statistics, access to quality healthcare and education, as well as support economic opportunities for women, and strengthen social safety nets as the country braces to limit the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dear Reader

The ESCAP CRVS team is committed to bringing you relevant and insightful content on www.getinthepicture.org and through the CRVS Insight newsletter. However, our content is dependent upon your stories and visuals to illustrate national CRVS system developments around Asia-Pacific.

As a result, we need your help in building our network and raising awareness of what's happening. When a development occurs in your country, please remember to draft a short article and send it to us with an accompanying photo.

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Events

23 Jul 2020
Asia-Pacific Stats Café on COVID-19 and mortality statistics
26-28 Aug 2020
Committee on Statistics, Seventh Session
27 May 2020
Asia-Pacific Stats Café
more events

News

20 Jul 2020
New dates for the Second Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific
20 Jul 2020
Civil Registration Professionals of South Asia (CR8) release compendium on civil registration practices in the region
20 Jul 2020
UNICEF to host a webinar on global birth registration progress
more news

Resources

Advocacy Materials, Meeting Documents, UN Official Documents, 2015
Asian and Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Decade 2015 - 2024
Advocacy Materials, 2020
The importance of CRVS systems for gender equality
Newsletters, 2020
CRVS Insight July 2020
more resources